Burgerfest 2014
Article submitted by Eileen Hotho
The Village of Hamburg will mark the 129th birthday of the hamburger at Burgerfest on Saturday, July 19th from noon to 11:30 p.m. Located along Main and Buffalo Streets (Rte. 62) and in the Municipal Parking Lot; the festival offers something for people of all ages and interests. Distinctive food offerings will be found at The Taste of Hamburg which showcases samples of the best offerings of about 25 local restaurants.
The one-day festival includes live music in three locations throughout the day with the headliners on the Hamburg Gaming Main Stage being 
JJ Swing playing from 7:30 to 11:30 pm. There will be various children’s activities and inflatable rides at First Niagara Bank Kids Space, the Key Bank Classic Car Show, the Lake Shore Savings Bank Burgers, Buns & Beds Parade, the Labatt beer tent and the Uncle Joe’s Hamburger-eating contest. Live music begins at noon with Terry Buchwald, followed by Nerds Gone Wild at 2:30 - 4:30 and Tom Stahl & the Dangerfields from 5-7 pm. Rock ‘n Roll to the Rescue and Nickel City Road Show entertain on Main Street from noon to 4 p.m. during the Classic Car Show hosted by the Rotary Club of Hamburg. On Main and Buffalo Streets there will be an Arts & Crafts Show and numerous booths with local merchants and not-for-profits from noon to 7 p.m. The Car Show has 27 classes and in addition to the class awards there will be special awards including the Best Car from Hamburg, the Best Specialty Vehicle etc.. Call Tom at 627-4411 for more information. Registration on the day of the show is $15, $12 if pre-registered. Enter onto Main Street from the Center Street side.
This year there will be a drawing for two concert tickets for the One Direction concert scheduled for August 2nd at the Rogers Center. The drawing will be held at 7 pm and will be announced from the Hamburg Gaming Main Stage. All proceeds from the raffle will benefit local charities and projects.
The festival celebrates Hamburg, N.Y. as the true birthplace of America’s favorite sandwich, the hamburger, which happened at the Hamburg Fairgrounds in 1885. The annual festival is hosted on the third Saturday of July by the Rotary Club of Hamburg, the Hamburg Rotary Sunrise Club, the Town of Hamburg Lions Club and the Hamburg Kiwanis Club. Hamburg held its first Burgerfest in 1985 to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of the hamburger after organizers discovered a history book detailing the burger’s origins. Frank and Charles Menches, food vendors who traveled the world’s fair circuit, and who have been credited with also creating Cracker Jacks and ice cream cones, concocted the all-American burger. Legend has it that the Menches brothers ran out of their usual pork sausage that hot, fateful day at the fair and turned to local butchers to replenish their supplies. When no pork was available, a butcher suggested ground beef. The Menches brothers purchased the beef, but added secret ingredients, including coffee grounds to create a unique flavor. The hamburger was born!
For a schedule of events, vendor registration forms and other information about Burgerfest, please visit our website at www.hamburgburgerfest.com. Additional sponsors are Waste Management, West Herr, Great Harvest Bread Co. and Community Redemption Center.