Who were the first to make whoopi pies? Are they from Maine or Lancaster, Pennsylvania? Aye, that is the question, as the two states are embroiled in a tasty, good-natured conflict over who introduced these rich, dense and delicious small chocolate cakes with a creamy vanilla filling.

One Maine legislator, Paul Davis to be specific, initiated a bill last January, which made the whoopi pie Maine’s official dessert. Later the name was changed to Maine’s official treat. He was inspired to do this after attending the Maine Whoopi Pie Festival, which brought some 4,000 visitors to his district last year alone.

Congressional districts aside, residents in Lancaster, Pa don’t care what the people in Maine call the whoopi pie because they claim that these chocolate delights also known as “gobs,” originated in Amish kitchens and date back many generations.

The issue has prompted “whoopi pie rallies” with purists in Lancaster, PA, holding signs that they alone have the original and all others are imposters committing “confectionary larceny.” Attended by 100 angry people last February, one person carried a sign bearing the words: Give Me Whoopi or Give Me Death. The Labadie’s Bakery in Lewiston, Maine, insists they started making whoopi pies back in 1925.

Whoever is right or wrong may never be ascertained. The creator of the whoopi pie may remain one of those confectionary mysteries that people will just have to live with. Although the competition is light-hearted, with so much going on in this dynamic world of ours that merits our attention and concern, how should we prioritize this miscarriage of culinary justice?

Maybe what everyone needs instead is a whoopi cushion, or perhaps the brilliant commentary of a funny lady who bears the name, Whoopi Goldberg?

Many consider the first Saturday in May as the day of the Kentucky Derby and it is not that they are mistaken. That day is also reserved for another diversionary event in Oklahoma that has nothing to do with races or horses, namely, the Annual El Reno Fried Onion Burger Day Festival!

The year 1989 marks the birth of the fried-onion burger when it was first served at the El Reno Hamburger Inn. That was the first time the town began hosting a Fried Onion Burger Day, and more than two decades later, the festival draws some 30,000 to 40,000 visitors annually. It has also gained celebrity status among burger-friendly blogs and books. This year, for the first time, the Food Network will be filming a segment for a new show as well.

This festival is no one-trick-pony show. It will also feature a car and motorcycle display and live music. To commemorate the event by air, the Oklahoma Wing Commemorative Air Force will fly by.

Still, most people will be coming to see the burger that the local fire department will be cooking up. It is expected to be big enough to feed an 800-pound gorilla. The ingredients for this monster burger include: 250 pounds of beef, 150 pounds of onions and a bun of indeterminate size.

Locals chip in and lend a hand with this unusual creation. On the Thursday before Burger Day, Gilmore’s Pub will throw an onion-peeling party at 6:30 pm that is expected to last for two hours. Volunteers then turn in their onions to the fire department for slicing.

The fun begins May 7 at 6 am and shuts down at 6 pm. For those who aren’t quick enough and may miss a piece of the gorilla’s burger, they can get a bite from the Main Street Burger Booth.

Sounds like fun.

A case of ketchup anyone?