Picklesburgh to debut "pickle riding" attraction as part of 10th anniversary celebration
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the "dill-lightful" festival, event organizers have announced the debut of the newest attraction.
"Pickle riding" will put festivalgoers atop a mechanical bull-style gherkin stationed near PPG Plaza.
Tickets can be purchased on site for $12 per ride. Patrons must be at least 18 years old to ride and are required to sign a waiver upon purchasing their ticket.
Riders will have time to snap a quick photo before the ride begins.
"Just when you thought you've seen it all, Picklesburgh is once again proving that it still has some weird and wonderful surprises up its sleeve for its anniversary," said Jeremy Waldrup, the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership president and CEO. "Ten years is a really big dill for us, and we can't think of a better way to mark the occasion than with something as one-of-a-kind as a mechanical pickle."
More information about the new ride can be found here.
Picklesburgh expands its footprint
In 2024 alone, more than 250,000 attendees flocked to Downtown for the festivities, a 1,000% increase in attendance since the inaugural event, according to a press release from event organizers.
As Picklesburgh has grown in popularity, the event has evolved from a simple street festival to one that takes over Downtown.
This year, the festival will be held on the Roberto Clemente and Andy Warhol bridges, in Allegheny Landing on the North Shore, along Fort Duquesne Boulevard and a stretch of 6th Street, in the Heinz Hall courtyard, in Market Square, and PPG Plaza.
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Travel + Leisure
06-08-2025
- Travel + Leisure
Pittsburgh Has a 3-day Pickle Festival—and You Can Ride a Mechanical Pickle, Eat Pickled Cannoli, and Enter a Pickle Juice Drinking Contest
'Welcome to Pittsburgh, you jagoffs!' That's how I was greeted—playfully—on a sweltering Saturday in July by the emcee of the pickle brine drinking contest. Five words I'd certainly never heard strung together before. The event, part of Pittsburgh's aptly named annual pickle festival, Picklesburgh, drew a large, spirited crowd. And judging by a show-of-hands prompted by the emcee, most had traveled from out of town just for the occasion. Suffice to say, these people take their pickles seriously. As interest in bold flavors and gut health continues to rise, it's no wonder that pickles are trendier than ever. And with its Heinz heritage and vibrant Easter European community, Pittsburgh is a natural home for the celebration. Founded in 2015 to help activate downtown, Picklesburgh began in good fun. "It started as a cheeky, funny thing,' Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership CEO Jeremy Waldrup told Travel + Leisure . 'And then it just kept going. Now, people come from near and far just for Picklesburgh.' This year, marking its 10th anniversary, the festival welcomed more than 200,000 attendees. To accommodate the surge, organizers expanded its footprint, stretching it across downtown and spilling onto not one but two of the Sister Bridges spanning the Allegheny River—it's largest and "most ambitious" layout yet. My best friend (and Pittsburgh native) Eleanor and I kicked off our day in PPG Plaza, where contests like pickle brine drinking, pickle eating, and pickle bobbing contests took place. By 11:45 a.m., just 15 minutes before the festival officially resumed for its second day, the plaza was already buzzing. Lines snaked arounds stands and food trucks, hawking everything from pickle crab rangoons and bratwurst with pickle cabbage to pun-filled T-shirts. We weaved through a sea of green-clad crowds and stumbled upon the festival's newest attraction: a mechanical pickle. Most riders were thrown off within seconds, and not wanting to share their fate, we decided to watch from a safe distance and pass on this experience ourselves. After browsing the Briny Bazaar, a marketplace of pickle- and Pittsburgh-themed arts and crafts, it was time to eat. We started with flavorful Mexican street pickles from Tako and a pickle-studded slice from Giovanni's Pizza & Pasta. Then came the boldest bites: the "Meat Monster" from the Pittsburgh Irish Festival (a hot dog stuffed into a hollowed-out pickle and wrapped in bacon), a pickle cannoli from DiAnoia's Eatery, and chocolate-covered pickles from Pickle Me Pete. I can't say I'd go back for some of these, but they were undeniably fun to try. Luckily, we unknowingly saved the best for last: the pickle eggrolls from Le's Oriental, a longtime festival favorite, lived up to the hype. And against all odds, the pickled peachsicle milkshake from Burgatory—a burger-and-milkshake joint known for its inventive concoctions—was a creamy, refreshing, and just sweet enough. As we made our way toward Picklesburgh's signature giant Heinz pickle balloon, Jack Dougherty, Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership's senior director of constituent services, summed up the festival's energy. 'This whole thing is kind of goofy, and that's kind of the point of it,' he said. That sentiment reflects Pittsburgh itself: a city that doesn't take itself too seriously. It's quirky, rooted in an eclectic history, and full embraces its oddities. As Pittsburgh continues to rise as a travel and culinary destination, it's never pretended to be anything it's not—and Picklesburgh showcases that authenticity. One of the festival's newer additions is Taste of Picklesburgh, a weeklong collaboration with local businesses offering pickle-themed specials. In Love, a women-owned concept store in Market Square, a pickle-themed table stood proudly near the entrance, decked with ornaments, plushies, and other pickle trinkets made by local artisans. Co-founder Kelly Sanders told T+L that construction-related disruptions in the area had hurt business, but Picklesburgh, she said, "boosted traffic a ton." That seemed to be the case at every Taste of Picklesburgh-affiliated business we visited. At Space Bar, a buzzy new spot with futuristic decor and an inventive cocktail menu, the line stretched out the door by 5 p.m. As we entered, a woman on her way out whispered that we had to try the pickle "Red Dwarf" shot. The bar's special festival menu, titled Picklesburgh in Orbit, also featured a pickle martini and the "Dill Void," made with olive leaf liquor, clarified grapefruit, and dill. We landed at a gas-giant-inspired table, sipping mocktails—mine, called Space Milk, came in a milk-carton-shaped glass and featured pandan leaf and acid-adjusted lime. There, we chatted with co-owner Elizabeth Menzel, who had relocated from L.A. to Pittsburgh with her partner before opening the bar in 2023. When I asked why, she smiled: 'We thought, 'This place is really weird.' And we love weird.' Our final stop was Alta Via, an upscale restaurant just steps from Space Bar, which general manager Jennifer Johnston said was 'super busy all weekend long' thanks to the festival. The menu leans toward elevated classics—think lobster tagliatelle, seafood arabbiata, and ridiculously pillowy sourdough focaccia—but Taste of Picklesburgh gave the team an opportunity to play. Clearly, the experiment paid off: at the table next to us, all four diners ordered a second round of spicy pickled palomas. I ended that day thoroughly satisfied, belly full of pickles (and tiramisu). By the time we returned to Market Square, the crowds had begun to thin, and vendors were starting to pack up for the third and final day of the festival. I've been to Pittsburgh many time, but something about this visit stood out. Maybe it was the pickles. Maybe it was the people. Maybe it was my new "I'm kind of a big dill" T-shirt. Or maybe it was simply the undeniable charm of a Rust Belt city proudly leaning into everything that makes it different. As Waldrup put it best: 'You can't manufacture that.'
CBS News
14-07-2025
- CBS News
10 years on, Picklesburgh remains as popular as ever, organizers say
After a weekend of sweet and sour fun, Picklesburgh 2025 is in the books. The event was expected to bring 250,000 people and millions of dollars in revenue to the city. The question is: How did it go? It's all over but the brine, as in pickle juice. From weather to lines, attendees faced a few challenges, but the man who heads up the effort says while there's always room for improvement, it went as well as could be expected. The annual cavalcade of all things pickle-related saw massive throngs of gherkin and dill-loving attendees take to the streets, hot streets at that. "Standing next to those fryers in line makes it 10 times as hot," Philadelphia resident Heather Wirzberger said. "Mother Nature wasn't very easy on us this year," said Jeremy Waldrup, president and CEO of Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership. Heat aside, the event remains a moneymaker for the city. "A $23 million impact on the region," Waldrup added. For some attending, the crowd size was surprising, as were the lines. "I think everyone who lives in Allegheny County is here," Plum's Lisa Bonacci said. Waldrup told KDKA-TV that the crowds may have seemed a lot thicker because of the following. "Last year, we did it over four days. This year we did it over three." Waldrup says the event was, space-wise, literally the biggest Picklesburgh ever to space out people. "This year it was almost three times larger, clocking in at 1.2 miles." Will it be bigger next year? Waldrup says it's way too early to tell. "We have a lot of notes. I personally like the footprint. We heard it was too long and people didn't want to walk that much," Waldrup said. One thing that everyone seems to agree on is what needs to make a return: the popular pickle-riding attraction. "I will say that mechanical pickle was a hit," Waldrup said.
USA Today
11-07-2025
- USA Today
Picklesburgh is back! Details on the dill-icious pickle festival
This news is a big dill for pickle lovers: Picklesburgh is back for its tenth year. Picklesburgh bills itself as "the destination for all things pickled" and is ranked the No. 1 best specialty food festival in the country by USA TODAY's 10Best. Over the last decade, more than 800,000 people have visited the festival, according to organizers. The event features food and drinks with pickled ingredients, as well as merchandise, entertainment and contests — like the Dill-cathlon games, which includes pickle eating, pickle bobbing and pickle juice drinking competitions. Here's what to know about the festival, including some of the dill-icious bites that will be available. More food news: Not just McDonald's: Here's where else you can get chicken wraps Where is Picklesburgh located? The annual pickle festival is held in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. What are the dates for Picklesburgh? Picklesburgh is being held on Friday, July 11, Saturday July 12 and Sunday, July 13. What are the hours for Picklesburgh? On Friday and Saturday, the festival is open from noon to 10 p.m. On Sunday, it will be open noon to 6 p.m. How much are tickets for Picklesburgh? Admission to Picklesburgh is free, and no tickets are necessary. Visitors can check out Picklesburgh's website for more information about location, parking and other tips on navigating the festival. What food does Picklesburgh have? Perhaps the most dill-lightful part of Picklesburgh is its many vendors selling food, drinks and merchandise. Here's a look at some of the highlights: A full list of vendors and what they are selling is available on Picklesburgh's website. Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at
