Burger fans all over the Central Valley are on a burger fast in order to prepare for the main event on Tuesday, September 18: the inaugural Sacramento Burger Battle. Fifteen restaurants are going head-to-head with their best burgers to see who will win this fabulous championship belt. I wonder if the winning chef will actually put it on?

The Championship Belt for the winner of the Sacramento Burger Battle

All ticket proceeds are going to the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA), an organization devoted to helping find effective treatments and even a cure for these gastrointestinal disorders.

In addition to all those burger samples from area restaurants, there will be beer/wine/cider samples and nonalcoholic drinks, plus a few side dishes and desserts. There’s going to be live entertainment from Tektsartist and Hero’s Last Mission, raffle prize giveaways totaling over $4,500 from local merchants, and other awesome stuff happening.

Many Sacramento area burger lovers may be wondering, “How should I prepare for this auspicious occasion? What should I wear?” Never fear, dear Sacto – I am here to help.

Prepping for the Sacramento Burger Battle: Sunday

1. Buy your tickets if you haven’t already. VIP tickets are sold out, but General Admission tickets are still available. Grab a cup of coffee and visit http://sacburgerbattle.eventbrite.com/ to get this very important part squared away.

2. Review the list of competitors. Don’t go into the field of battle without knowing who will be there. You can see a list of the 15 competitors here, or if you’d prefer, photos of the chefs who’ll be representing their restaurants are here.

3. Determine your burger strategy. Now that you’ve familiarized yourself with the list of competitors, you can decide which burgers you’d really like to try. These will be samples, not full burgers, so your maximum intake may vary.

4. Check out the band. Hero’s Last Mission will be performing at the Burger Battle. Their great tunes motivate me to get my weekend chores done as well as get me excited for Tuesday. Hear them for yourself – listen to their tunes via Spotify, which you can access via their Facebook Page.

Prepping for the Sacramento Burger Battle: Monday

1. Gather the troops together. Will you be alone or with someone? Will you be meeting friends while you’re there? Consult with your troops as to where you’ll meet and what time.  (I recommend using the stage as a meeting spot once you’re inside the gates at Raley Field.)

2. Review the list of prizes being raffled off. You can check out the list here. If you see something you really want to win, there will be an opportunity at the Burger Battle for you to purchase additional tickets.

3. Watch the video from Tektsartist. He’ll be doing a live art installation at the Burger Battle, so if you’re not sure what exactly that entails, you can see the work he’s previously done for Burger Junkies, the illustrious host of the Sacramento Burger Battle, here.

4. Sign up for Foursquare. It’s free and it’s a fun way to keep track of all the places you’re visiting around Sacramento. Many places offer discounts and coupons to Foursquare check-ins. Best of all, if you’re one of the first 100 people to check in on Foursquare at the Burger Battle after 6 pm, you’ll get a free t-shirt. Sign up here, or download the app to your phone.

5. Set out your clothes. I recommend:

• a dark shirt that won’t show burger stains
• durable jeans or pants with pockets to hold a stash of napkins, your photo ID, money to buy more raffle tickets, and your mobile phone
• comfortable shoes

Coming straight from work? Stick ‘em all in a tote bag so you can change at the office right before you leave. You don’t want to waste any time getting to burger goodness.

Prepping for the Sacramento Burger Battle: Tuesday morning/afternoon

1. Go vegetarian until you arrive at the Burger Battle. Think about it: you’ll be eating all sorts of meaty burger goodness in a few hours. Why sully the experience by having meat before you get there? Have a nice green salad and some fruit, maybe a smoothie.

2. Make sure you have your photo ID. The Burger Battle is for 21 and over, and Raley Field security will be checking IDs at the gate. Don’t be that guy/girl who left their ID at home.

3. Charge your mobile phone. The last thing you want is to run out of juice on the field of battle, right as you’re about to tweet to your friends a picture of the awesome burger you’re about to devour.

4. Brag to all your friends on social media. Use hashtag #sacburgerbattle to let everyone on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and G+ know you’re part of a most fabulous burger cook-off for charity.

5. Pat yourself on the back for supporting a worthy cause. By buying a ticket for the Sacramento Burger Battle, you’ve shown that not only does Sacramento love a fantastic burger, Sacramento is a community full of compassionate, generous people who believe in giving back.

The reason for the Sacramento Burger Battle.