A ‘dilly’ good time: Picklesburgh proves to be more popular than ever
Courtesy of Picklesburgh
It’s time to relish the fun at this year’s ninth annual Picklesburgh.
The three-time reigning champion of USA Today’s Readers Choice for Best Specialty Food Festival in the U.S. attracts a robust crowd, beckoned by the iconic Heinz Pickle Balloon, which flies over the festivities full of fermented fun. Russell Howard, vice president of major events, Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, said that the Heinz balloon is an homage to the pickle pin created by Heinz in the 1800s.
The multi-day festival, which runs from Thursday, July 18- Sunday, July 21, was created to attract people to the downtown area during the summer when business typically slows. Picklesburgh has hit its mark and has been growing each year since its inception in 2015.
Last year, the location of the event moved from the Sister Bridges to The Boulevard of the Allies where it broke its own attendance record by attracting a crowd of more than 200,000 – more than doubling its normal foot traffic, according to Howard.
“More than 50,000 traveled more than 50 miles; 27,000 came more than 150 miles, and we saw clusters come from as far away as San Diego, Chicago and Detroit,” said Howard, adding that its jokingly referred to as the “goldfish event” because it grows as big as the bowl its put in. A fourth day has been added to the event to better accommodate the locals who prefer to avoid the crowds by attending on a weekday.
The Lineup
Competitions, known as the “Olympickles,” are on tap for those who are big fans of the fermented cuke. Back again this year is the annual pickle drinking contest. Whoever is the fastest to chug a quart of Pittsburgh Pickle Company’s Picklexir will vie for the title, “Duke of Drinking,” in the championship on Sunday. New this year is a pickle-eating contest — a five-minute competition to earn a spot in the final where the “Earl of Eating,” will be crowned. Also on tap this year is a bobbing for pickles event. Competitors will have 90 seconds to retrieve the most pickles by weight to earn the title of Picklesburgh’s first “Baron of Bobbing.”
In addition to the competitions, there will be a variety of vendors selling pickle merchandise and food which can range from pickled egg rolls to pickle ice cream, pickle-flavored cotton candy and even pickle-flavored beer. Wigle Whiskey will be offering its specialty spirit, Eau de Pickle, inspired by the botanicals used in pickling. A kids play area known as “Little Gherkins” will cater to the tots with crafts and other activities created to be fun for families and children.
John Patterson, CEO of Pittsburgh Pickle Co., has been participating in the event since its inception. The entrepreneur has had success with his own line of pickles, which started when Patterson began selling fried versions of them at the business he operates with his brother Will and Joe in the Strip District called the Beerhive.
The pickles became so popular that he began jarring them.
“That was in 2014, and Picklesburgh began the next year, so the timing was good,” said Patterson, who offers samples, which translates into thousands of jars sold at the festival.
This will be the tenth anniversary of the business, and according to Patterson, they will be launching two more products.
“We’ll be marketing a better-for-you mustard and ketchup,” he said.
One thing Patterson said that he’s seen over the years is not only exponential growth necessitating a move of venue from the Sister Bridges, to the Boulevard of the Allies, but also a more streamlined experience.
“I would say that the organizers have, each year, gotten smarter ironing out the logistics. They work very hard to make this event the number one food event in the country. That was their goal and the efforts that they’ve made over the years have proven that it’s well deserved,” he said.
Howard also attributes the growth to social media.
“The word-of-mouth on social media is tremendous, with aggregate views on TikTok exceeding 65 million,” he said, adding that it’s a non-stop firehose of social media posts.
“It’s almost like it’s become a bit of a holiday,” he said.
For more information on vendors, performers, schedules and more, visit the website at www.picklesburgh.com