Fremont Burger & Brew Fest: 12 craft breweries, plus international burger booths

Fremont’s Burger & Brew Fest will return Saturday to the Downtown Event Center Plaza with craft beers from a dozen NorCal breweries, a burger throwdown, a new international array of burgers and live entertainment.

The eighth annual event, sponsored by the Fremont Chamber of Commerce, will also feature live music and community and crafts booths. More than 7,500 attendees are anticipated.

In the burger throwdown, four local celebrity teams will have one hour to create the best burger they can. There’s just one rule: It has to be between two buns.

Competing at noon for charity bucks and bragging rights will be Alameda County Supervisor David Haubert and a co-chef, entrepreneur Jesse Schaa (grilling for Room Redux); Fremont Police command staff John Harnet and Capt. Matt Snelson of the Fremont police command staff (grilling for Tri-City Volunteers); Vincent Ta and Jerry Short of Fremont firefighters Local 1689 (grilling for the Firefighters’ Burn Foundation); and Mike Gilfoy and Jacob Shannon from the Fremont Police Department (grilling for Special Olympics Northern California).

At the food stands, global riffs on burgers will include Pakistani halal burgers from Yeeshan’s Grub; Cheeseburger Lumpia from Kay’s Creations; a jalapeno-topped Paisa Burger from Tear It Up; Nigerian burgers from Jollof Kitchen; Southeast Asian-style burgers from 3 Brothers Kitchen; plus a lamb burger and Impossible Burger from Rincon del Cielo Taqueria. Look for cheesesteak burgers from Wonder Philly and classic burgers from Grillzilla.

Pouring craft brews will be Anderson Valley of Boonville; Cuver Brewing of Windsor; Knee Deep of Auburn; Fremont favorites JP Das Brew and Jack’s Brewing; Altamont Beer Works of Livermore; Alameda Island Brewing Co.; 21st Amendment of San Francisco; Hillside of Santa Cruz; Oakland United Beerworks; and two San Jose breweries, S27 Ales and Unreal Brewing Co.

The distilleries, with their reps in attendance, are Stranahan’s and Tincup of Denver; 10th Street Distillery of San Jose; Pendleton Whisky of Oregon; and Ireland’s Roe & Company and Bushmills.

The main stage, at the end of Capitol Avenue, will feature The Deadlies at noon, the Evan Thomas Band at 1:45 p.m. and Deep Blue Jam at 3:30 p.m.

Attendance is free and open to the public. Tickets for the beer tasting are $45 advance ($50 at the gate) for a 4-ounce tasting glass, wristband and unlimited pours. A beer-and-spirits pass costs $55 (or $60 at the gate). Because this is a tasting event, no single pours of beer will be available for purchase; however, wine and other beverages will be sold by the glass.

Details: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Downtown Event Center Plaza and Capitol Avenue from Liberty Street to State Street, a short walk from BART. Advance tickets are available online at www.burgerandbrewfest.com.