Pickles are invading downtown Pittsburgh this weekend — in the streets, the food, the drinks, even the air. Pickle balloons, pickle pizza, pickle ice cream and pickle music are only a few of the ways Pittsburgh is celebrating the briney snack during the city’s ninth annual Picklesburgh festival.
Picklesburgh’s attendance reached over 200,000 last year, and the festival added a fourth day this year to accommodate the growing turnout. Picklesburgh 2024 began Thursday at noon and will end on Sunday at 6 p.m.
Attendees can purchase pickle-themed food and drink from the many vendors lining the Boulevard of the Allies or listen to live music from the nearly 50 artists playing on the stages located at either end of the festival.
Picklesburgh’s Olympickle Games begin on Friday, where contestants will compete in the events of pickle eating, pickle juice drinking and pickle bobbing. The championship games will take place on Sunday, and the winners of each event will receive $500 and a life-like pickle trophy to commemorate their pickle prowess at the 2024 games.
The celebration has been named the “Best Specialty Food Festival in America” for the past three years, and Picklesburgh hopes to defend its title for the fourth year in a row.
