PITTSBURGH — The 10th-annual Picklesburgh festival kicked off Friday. Organizers say the event has had a 1,000% increase in attendance over the past 10 years.
Click here to see photos from day one of the festival.
For the past decade, a Shaler mom and her family have been coming Downtown for Picklesburgh. What started as a quirky festival on the Clemente Bridge has expanded to be one of the largest festivals in Western Pennsylvania.
“This is way bigger cause now they have bridges and they have it Downtown, sort of, so it’s way bigger,” said Marylou Monich Bushyager of Shaler. “And it’s really fun, but we come back every year because we love pickles and we love Pittsburgh.”
It’s no secret that Pittsburghers love their pickles, but the festival has brought to light a niche of gherkin lovers from all across the country and beyond.
Asked how much she loves pickles, Grace Wilson of Georgia said, “It’s a problem, like it’s an actual problem.”
One bride says she intends to serve pickles at her October wedding, so it just made sense to have her bachelorette party here, even if it meant flying in from the middle of the country.
“We flew from Nebraska,” she said.
She’s not the only one who made the journey to the Steel City to experience the four-time winner of USA Today’s “Best Specialty Food Festival” contest. In 2024, more than 250,000 people attended, and this year, it’s estimated that there will be even more.
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“It’s a divisive topic, but you know, Pickles, pickle juice, pickled food. Pickles have been there for me when no one else has,” said one attendee.
The food obviously takes center stage.
“We bought pickle fudge, so I’m going to go home and eat that,” said Mallory McRae of Jeanette.
There’s a little something for everyone, from pickle merchandise to a Dill-Cathlon featuring a pickle juice chugging contest, kids’ play activities, live music and — new this year — a mechanical pickle where enthusiasts can try to hang on for as long as they can.
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Picklesburgh will be downtown all weekend. It will be open from noon to 10 p.m. Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday.
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