‘Best Specialty Food Festival’ in America draws thousands to Downtown Pittsburgh, putting the spotlight on local bands and merchants.
Picklesburghers, rejoice! Picklesburgh, the four-time winner of USA Today’s ‘Best Specialty Food Festival’ contest, is back for its tenth anniversary, promising more gherkin glee than ever. This year’s festival footprint will be the biggest one yet, spanning two of the Sister Bridges, PPG Plaza, Market Square, 6th Street, Ft. Duquesne Blvd., Allegheny Landing and Isabella St. From Friday, July 11 to Sunday, July 13, Downtown Pittsburgh will be brimming with 57 vendors, 23 Taste of Picklesburgh merchants, exclusive culinary offerings, crowd-rousing Dill-Cathlon contests, a mechanical pickle, live music, KidsPlay activities, and the return of the 35-foot-long signature Heinz pickle balloon flying high above the Roberto Clemente Bridge.
Created by the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership (PDP) and presented by Kraft Heinz, Picklesburgh has grown each year, boosting the Downtown economy and welcoming people from around the country and the world. According to VisitPittsburgh, Picklesburgh 2024 brought in an estimated $23.2M in direct spending to Pittsburgh, which includes overnight lodging, transportation, retail and recreation, generating $1.1M in sales tax revenue.
“This year’s festival will be our biggest one yet, further amplifying the Pittsburgh as a major summer destination, while showcasing our year-round offerings for dining, retail and entertainment,” said Jeremy Waldrup, president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership. “With a plethora of culinary favorites, artisan vendors, local bands, contests, and a brand-new bucking gherkin, this year’s festival is sure to dill-iver on all its pickled promises and more.”
“We’re thrilled to be the leading sponsor at Picklesburgh for the 10th year in a row,” said Jacqueline Lanphier, Senior Brand Communications Manager for HEINZ. “HEINZ has a rich history with pickles, from the tiny gherkin on the brand’s infamous keystone label to Henry J. Heinz earning the nickname ‘Pickle King’ for owning the largest pickle company in the U.S. in the early 1900s to the brand’s current Pickle Relish and Pickle Ketchup offerings. Partnering with Picklesburgh is the perfect way for the brand to celebrate its deep roots in both pickles and Pittsburgh!”
10 YEARS OF PICKLED PURPOSE IN DOWNTOWN PITTSBURGH
Since its launch in 2015, Picklesburgh has become one of the largest festivals in Western Pennsylvania. What started as a quirky idea is now an internationally recognized event and a powerful economic driver for the region. Picklesburgh continues to break records for attendance year after year, boosting summer tourism in the region. In 2024 alone, more than 250,000 attendees flocked to Downtown for the festivities, a 1000% increase in attendance since the inaugural event.
To celebrate its 10th year, the PDP is unveiling bold new additions to its lineup, including the debut of “Pickle Riding,” a mechanical bull-style gherkin stationed near PPG Plaza. The anniversary celebration will also feature an expanded footprint and signature pickle-themed fun that continues to draw visitors from across the country and the globe, spotlighting Pittsburgh’s creativity on a national stage.
SA-DILL UP FOR PICKLE RIDING
Presented by the PDP and Flyspace Productions, Pickle Riding is a jarring new opportunity for dill-seekers to go for gherkin glory. A Picklesburgh twist on mechanical bull, riders will try to hang onto the gherkin for dill life through every unexpected spin, duck and shake. Tickets can be purchased on site, and riders will have time to snap a quick photo atop the green steed before the rodeo begins. Patrons must be at least 18 years old to ride, but all are welcome to relish the action from the sidelines. Pickle Riding’s debut was made possible with support from Pella Windows and Doors, proudly serving the greater Pittsburgh area for 100 years!
Get all the Pickle Riding details here: www.picklesburgh.com/pickle-riding
DILL-CATHLON BRINGS BEST & BRINIEST TO COMPETE FOR GHERKIN GLORY!
Hosted by Rachael and John from the YaJagoff! Podcast, the Games will see the return of Pickle Juice Drinking, Pickle Eating and Bobbing for Pickles. Watch dare dill-vils compete in PPG Plaza for a shot at gherkin glory during the preliminary heats on Friday, July 11, and Saturday, July 12, culminating in championships on Sunday, July 13. The winning champion of each event will relish their victory with $500 in grand prize money, a life-like pickle trophy, and—most importantly—the coveted title of Duke of Drinking, Earl of Eating, or Baron of Bobbing.
The Dill-Cathlon stage is presented by Chicken of the Sea, which will have a food truck in PPG Plaza where attendees can try their popular Dill Tuna Salad packet. “Chicken of the Sea is excited to support Picklesburgh as they celebrate their 10th anniversary this year. Our partnership is an exciting new way to not only support the community but to also showcase our wild caught Dill Tuna Salad packet that is packed with 11g of lean protein and allows consumers to take their love of pickle-inspired flavors on-the-go! Be sure to stop by and see us in PPG Plaza so you can try one for yourself,” said Griffin Raasch, Director of Marketing for Chicken of the Sea.
See the Dill-Cathlon schedule here: https://www.picklesburgh.com/games/
ICONIC PITTSBURGH FAVORITES WITH A PICKLED TWIST
Voted the #1 Food Festival in America four times, Picklesburgh provides Pittsburgh’s most beloved food and drink purveyors a unique opportunity to put a pickled spin on their most popular products. Enjoy culinary creations from Burgatory, DiAnoia’s Eatery, Mancini’s, Millie’s Ice Cream, and Yuzu and others, plus sample exclusive festival foods made just for Picklesburgh such as:
- IC Pickle: Iron City Beer’s pickle-flavored IC Light beer, developed with Pittsburgh Pickle Company, offers a dill-ightfully cool cucumber taste.
- Turner’s Pickled Iced Tea: A limited-edition pickle-flavored iced tea joins Turner’s classic summer refreshments.
- Jenny Lee’s Gherkin Grilled Cheese: A signature sandwich featuring their famous Garlic & Herb bread, Swiss cheese, and pickles from Flippin’ Pickles.
- Mancini’s PGH Roll 2.0: A festival favorite, the upgraded PGH Roll packs a flavorful punch with Silver Star cheesy bratwurst and pickled cabbage in an Iron City Beer roll.
“All of us at Frank Fuhrer Wholesale take great pride in being an original partner of the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership and playing our role in bringing Picklesburgh to life over the years,” said Kevin Sproule, Director of Sales for Fuhrer. “We couldn’t be happier seeing the people of Pittsburgh embrace the event and watching it grow into one of the largest events in the city.”
HANDS-ON CRAFTS AND CARNIVAL GAMES TO DILL-IGHT LI’L GHERKINS AT KIDSPLAY
For some free creative pickle-themed arts & crafts, bring the kiddos to the Li’l Gherkins Kidsplay area in Market Square, presented by Chick-fil-A and the Pittsburgh Pirates, which operates until 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and until 6 p.m. Sunday. Located in Allegheny Landing, there will be a free button-making craft table and carnival games including a pickle jar toss, pickle duck pond, pickle bean bag toss, pickle derby race. Activities under the KidsPlay tent are free. The pickle themed carnival games are $2 per play. Carnival game tickets can be purchased onsite—no reservation needed. It’s a perfect spot for pint-sized pickle lovers to play and create!
Learn more about the Li’l Gherkins KidsPlay area here: https://www.picklesburgh.com/festival-schedule/lil-gherkins-activity-area/
LIVE MUSIC, LIMITED EDITION MERCH, BRINY BAZAAR
Picklesburgh will offer three days of live music on the Stanwix Street Stage, presented by Turner’s. “Turner’s is thrilled to sponsor Picklesburgh in its 10th year!” said Adriana Mazzotta, Marketing Manager for Turner’s. “And we couldn’t be prouder to be the Official Iced Tea of Picklesburgh! Our brand-new product, Pickled Lemonade, will be available all weekend in addition to event exclusive merch. Cheers, the best weekend of the year is finally here!”
The stage will be programmed throughout the festival with a diverse range of genres and local favorites including Megan Paullet and the HR Department, Pickup Line, Polkamaniacs, Aristotle Jones and others, along with up-and-coming headliners from Point Park University’s Pioneer Records.
A complete entertainment schedule is now available here: https://www.picklesburgh.com/entertainment/
The fun at Picklesburgh always extends far beyond the dill-ectable products and foods. Shop from a curated selection of festival merchandise including t-shirts, caps, bandanas, backpacks, and souvenir Picklesburgh balloons at the merch tent in PPG Plaza. Plus, find quirky pickle-themed goods and novelties from local makers and vendors at the Briny Bazaar located at the Heinz Hall Courtyard at 6th St. and Liberty Ave.
See a complete list of vendors here: https://www.picklesburgh.com/vendors/
EXPLORE THE ‘TAHN WITH A TASTE OF PICKLESBURGH
Those who are pining for Picklesburgh and can’t wait to placate their pickle passion can rejoice as ‘Taste of Picklesburgh’ returns in a newly expanded format! This year, starting July 7 and continuing throughout the festival until July 13, 23 Downtown restaurants and retailers will offer a creative array of pickle-inspired food and drink items, gifts, and products. Participating establishments will also distribute free Heinz Pickle Pins with purchase of pickle-themed items, while supplies last.
Get a glimpse of all the gherkin goodness here: Picklesburgh.com/taste-of-picklesburgh.
NOTHING TO BRINE ABOUT: LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION
Since 2015, Picklesburgh continues to build momentum and attract national and international attention. The event has been recognized with four victories as the #1 Best Specialty Food Festival in America and has also been recognized as a ‘Signature Event’ of the Commonwealth by the Pennsylvania Tourism Office and recently took home Pittsburgh Magazine’s ‘Best of the Burgh’ title for 2025 Best Food Festival. It is recognized globally as one of the most unique and fascinating food festivals in the world.
