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Burgers, Beards & Brews Two events merge into one festival
IF YOU GO
What: Burgers, Beards and Brews
When: 3 p.m. to midnight Friday, and noon to midnight Saturday
Where: North Phelps Street and Central Square, downtown Youngstown
By GUY D’ASTOLFO
YOUNGSTOWN
Burgers, Beards & Brews is the name of a downtown street festival this Friday and Saturday, and aside from being alliterative, it’s also quite accurate.
It’s a first-time event that blends together two festivals that originally were being separately planned for the same weekend, but were then merged into one. Admission is $5.
Michael McGiffin, the city’s downtown events coordinator, said blending the second annual Battle of the Burgers with Beards & Brews didn’t seem to make sense at first. But now that it’s done, it seems like a natural — a mishmash of events with little in common except they all fit the spirit of summer.
One thing the name doesn’t mention is the massive car show that will spread out across Central Square on Saturday, with a visit by the cast of Discovery Channel’s “Fat N’ Furious” show.
Another thing worth noting is that Pat Dailey, the legendary Put-In-Bay singer and guitarist with the island flair, will perform Saturday at 8 p.m.
The Battle of the Burgers will be Saturday, with at least 10 regional restaurants competing. Each also will sell their burgers both days on Phelps Street.
A stage will be set up on North Phelps Street, which will be blocked off between West Commerce and West Federal streets, and the burger vendors also will set up in this area.
The Rust Belt Whisker Society’s Beard & Moustache Club competition will begin at 2 p.m. Saturday. Founded by Anthony Fontes, a Mahoning Valley native and a World Beard champion, the society will determine the winner in 15 facial hair categories. Beard- and whisker-centric carnival games will be part of the fun.
The festival will get started at 3 p.m. Friday and run until midnight. It will resume Saturday at noon and end at midnight.
Friday’s entertainment will begin with a happy hour at 4 p.m. featuring Chook Alberini, and continue with headliner Hoss and the Juggernauts. Also on the bill Friday are The PickUps, ColorBlind, Two Days Until Tomorrow, The Cardboard Cutouts and North Shore.
On Saturday, the music lineup includes After Hours, The Vindys and Ryan Ross and the Youngstown Syndicate, in addition to Pat Dailey.
For Saturday’s car show, West Federal Street will be closed between Phelps Street and Walnut Street, and Market Street will be closed between Commerce and Boardman streets for the display of about 100 hot rods and classic cars.
Three members of the cast of “Fan N’ Furious” — Tommy Christmas, Chuck Kountz and Andy Pivarnik — will judge the event. The reality show follows the crew at Christmas Automotive’s speed shop, based in Boardman, as it rebuilds dilapidated cars into racing shape.