Tickets are on sale for the fifth annual Battle of the Burgers, set for Saturday, Oct. 10, at Pechanga Resort Casino.

The event runs from noon to 3 p.m. Area restaurants will compete for best burger, and high school culinary arts students will face off in a "Loaded Fries" challenge, according to Visit Temecula Valley. Visit Temecula Valley organizes the event with Pechanga and the Temecula Valley Unified School District.

All proceeds go to TVUSD's Career Technical Education (CTE) Culinary Arts Program.

Last year's competition raised more than $12,000 for the program. The CTE Culinary Arts pathway is one of 12 career and technical education tracks offered through TVUSD, with courses that provide hands-on training and, in many cases, free college credit or industry certifications.

Five judges will pick the top three burgers: Temecula Mayor Jessica Alexander, Fielding Buck of Southern California News Group, Joel Greene of IE Explorer, Pam Kragen of The San Diego Union-Tribune and Priscilla Tapia of Temecula Foodies.

For the Loaded Fries challenge, TVUSD students will partner with Pechanga executive chefs to develop recipes. They will compete for both a Judges Choice and a People's Choice award.

Andre Pinto, executive chef at Pechanga Resort Casino, said the event gives professionals a chance to mentor students. "As professional chefs, we enjoy offering students real-world insights and encouragement as they think about starting their careers in the culinary world," Pinto said in a statement.

Annette Brown, interim CEO of Visit Temecula Valley, said the event supports TVUSD's culinary pipeline and the valley's hospitality workforce.

Tickets start at $40 pre-sale and $30 for students. Last year's event sold out. More than 400 people attended, and organizers expect a quick sellout again. Tickets are available through Pechanga's entertainment calendar.