Burger Mania

More than 20 area restaurants will be serving up 50 different styles of hamburgers at the 10th Annual National Hamburger Festival, which takes place in Akron today and tomorrow. The festival is a benefit for Akron Children’s Hospital. In addition to the National Hamburger Cook-Off, in which participating restaurants compete for honors in categories such as best cheeseburger, most traditional burger, most creative burger, and the always-challenging toppings/special sauce field, the event is filled with family fun activities. The Ohio Hamburger Eating Championship features eight competitive eaters trying to see how many one-pound burgers they can consume in 10 minutes. The face-stuffing event was the brainchild of former competitive eater and Akron resident Dave “Coondog” O’Karma. The fest also now features a Craft Beer Tasting fueled by local breweries like Thirsty Dog Brewing Co., Buckeye Brewing Company, Lagerheads Brewing, Canton Brewing Company, Ohio Brewing Company and others. The festival also features live music all weekend long. Admission to the National Hamburger Festival is $5. Children under eight years old are admitted free. (Douglas Trattner) hamburgerfestival.com.