Smell of charcoal has burger lovers heading to downtown Akron

AKRON, Ohio - The smell of charcoal was in the air Saturday night at Lock 3 Park in downtown Akron.  Hamburger lovers were in their glory at the 6th annual National Hamburger Festival.

Beef, buns and cheese were the magic combination as burger fans showed up for a taste of heaven.

Dan and Michelle Batton of Akron came out with their two daughters.  They know what they like in a burger.

"I like spicy burgers.  I look for jalapenos and spicy mustard and such," said Dan.  For Michelle it was an easy choice.  "Barbecue and onion rings," she said.

For those looking for the best of both worlds, there was the deep-fried cheeseburger slider with aged white cheddar cheese.  Where did the idea come from?

"Kind of came from my daughter and wife," said Scott Burford, owner of Metro Burger.  "They both love the burgers and the funnel cakes so I kind of made it as a one-pot meal for dinner to save myself a little bit of time."

Rhonda Hammond of Stow could not resist the tempation of the deep-fried burger.

"I'm actually, really going off my diet and if I'm going to do it, I'm going to go all out, so why not?" laughed Rhonda.

The highlight of the festival Saturday was the 'Bobbing for Burgers' contest.  Contestants had three minutes to bob as many burgers as they could from a kiddie pool filled with ketchup.

Christy Sinko of Medina held on to her crown.

"It feels great," said Sinko.  "I am the only person to have ever won more than one time so to be able to get three titles is something pretty special."

The National Hamburger Festival wraps up on Sunday at Lock 3 Park from noon until 7 p.m.