Picklesburgh is the REAL DILL! USA Today announced that Picklesburgh took top honors in their readers’ choice “Best Specialty Food Festival” contest in America. Pittsburghers played a significant role by voting daily to ensure that this uniquely Pittsburgh event won the top spot against fierce competition from multi-city touring festivals and festivals from cities such as Miami, Houston, Louisville, and Baltimore.
“Thank you so much to the thousands of Pittsburghers who feel passionately about Picklesburgh and brought home another win for the City of Champions,” said Jeremy Waldrup, President and CEO of the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership. “Pittsburgh has embraced Picklesburgh in so many ways – by turning out in incredible numbers, creating spectacular culinary creations, impressively drinking pickle juice at lightning speeds, and most of all, embracing a uniquely Pittsburgh experience. We are so honored to have won this incredible distinction.”
Produced by the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership (PDP), and presented by Heinz, Picklesburgh is a free, three-day, culinary celebration that goes beyond the dill pickle to include international dishes and handcrafted foods from local chefs that feature house-cured pickled vegetables; informative how-to demonstrations which highlight the farm-to-table movement and the rising popularity of DIY canning; fun pickle themed merchandise, live music, a “Li’l Gherkins” area with free kids’ activities, and even a competitive pickle juice drinking contest.
The festival will be returning in 2022 on July 15, 16, and 17. The PDP has been working with the city and the county in an effort to expand the overall size of the festival footprint, to better accommodate the huge crowds it has attracted.
The festival which launched in 2015, has attracted national and international attention with coverage that has included the Today Show, Good Morning America, Fox News, Washington Post, Boston Globe, Travel+Leisure, and dozens of local TV stations across the country. And it’s even received global attention including 2018 coverage in a UK foodie magazine spotlighting it as one of the most interesting food festivals around the world, just as British Airways is about to begin direct service between Pittsburgh and London. “We see Picklesburgh as a signature event for the state of Pennsylvania,” said Carrie Lepore, Deputy Secretary Office of Marketing, Tourism, and Film, State of Pennsylvania, prompting the event to be featured in the 2019 Pennsylvania State Tourism Guide.
“Congratulations to Picklesburgh on this fantastic feat! We are so proud to partner with the PDP on hosting this world-class event that is so uniquely Pittsburgh,” said County Executive Rich Fitzgerald. “We look forward to fully celebrating this win with the entire region in July!”
Sponsorship opportunities are still available, and inquiries can be directed to rhoward@downtownpittsburgh.com. Pickle product producers and culinarily-creative restaurants are encouraged to apply as vendors with applications available here.
