El Reno's Onion Burger Day Festival prepares to serve up good times

Festivities begin downtown at 10 a.m. with a performance from the Lincoln Honor Choir and continue through the evening with a 4:30 p.m. concert by Johnny Cooper. There will be other performances throughout the day.

The planned 850-pound burger remains the star attraction, however. Pieces of it are given to festivalgoers. Organizer Debbie Harrison said the burger is cooked on a large open fire pit, and the bun is made in a giant convection oven. The burger is flipped during the cooking process.

Serving of the burger begins at 1 p.m., according to the event's website, elrenoburgerday.wordpress.com.

New to the festival this year is a visit from the No. 844 steam engine, a vintage locomotive that will be pulling the 1962 Union Pacific 150 express rail car that serves as a mobile railroad museum. The locomotive and car will be a few blocks from the festival but will be accessible via the trolley.

The train is part of the 150th anniversary of Union Pacific Railroad. Abraham Lincoln signed the Pacific Railway Act of July 1, 1862, creating the Union Pacific. Today the company has a presence in 23 states.

El Reno Mayor Matt White will serve as an honorary engineer and will make a proclamation to recognize the railroad's impact on development.

“There are lots of activities for kids, and it will be a beautiful day,” Harrison said. “I can't think of anything better to do on a day like that than enjoy a family-oriented event.”