Love Olive Burgers? There’s a New Michigan Festival For That
If you love a good ooey-gooey olive burger, great news! A new festival celebrating the distinctly Michigan dish is coming up this summer.
Was the Olive Burger Invented in Michigan?
While its true origins are up for debate, it IS believed the olive burger originated in Michigan more than a century ago.
Some credit the Kewpee Hotel Hamburg, which was founded in Flint in 1923.
However, according to Grand Rapids Magazine, the olive burger's inception is widely attributed to Mr. Fables in Grand Rapids:
According to John Boyles, his father (Gerald Boyles) started putting olives on burgers back when his South Division Ave. restaurant was still a “Kewpee” (burger chain founded in Flint in 1923). John Boyles and his cousin, Dick Faber, purchased Gerald’s Kewpee business in 1929 and renamed it by combining their two last names: Faber + Boyles = Mr. Fables.
Sadly, Mr. Fables closed in 2000 - but if you want to try to make their famous olive burger, a chef recreated it and shared the below video:
Olive Burger Festival Coming to Lansing, Mich., June 2023
Lansing Foodies is putting on Michigan’s first-ever olive burger festival, Saturday, June 24, 2023, noon to 7p.m. at Jackson Field in Lansing.
The festival will feature a variety of olive burger creations from some of the best local restaurants and food trucks. You'll be able to try different variations of the olive burger and vote for your favorites.
The Olive Burger Festival will also feature wine and beer, live music, games, and activities for all ages.
Lansing Foodies event coordinator, Erin Brains says,
We're thrilled to be hosting the Olive Burger Festival at Jackson Field this year. This is a great opportunity for people to come together and celebrate one of Michigan's most beloved foods. We have an exciting lineup of vendors and activities planned, and we can't wait to see everyone there.
Stay tuned for updates on the festival here.
The Lansing Foodies group also has a petition going to get Lansing named the “Olive Burger Capital of the World".
Who do YOU think serves the best olive burgers in Michigan?
