Picklesburgh, a festival dedicated to pickled foods, will mark its tenth anniversary July 11–13, 2025, in Downtown Pittsburgh. Since its inception in 2015, the event has drawn more than 250,000 attendees in 2024 and generated $23.2 million in direct spending at downtown restaurants, hotels, shops, and attractions. Hotel occupancy rose nearly 30 percent during the festival weekend, with 90 percent of rooms booked, and attendance has increased nearly 1,000 percent while vendor participation has grown 114 percent over its first decade.
The milestone celebration will introduce a mechanical pickle ride modeled after a mechanical bull, expand activities across the sister bridges, Market Square, PPG Plaza, Allegheny Landing, and Fort Duquesne Boulevard, and feature commemorative merchandise, new pickle-themed food and beverage offerings, family programming at the Lil Gherkin Kids Area, and returning events such as the pickle juice drinking contest and live music stages. The festival has received national media coverage from USA Today, Travel + Leisure, Food Network, Good Morning America, the Today Show, and Delish, and has been named USA Today’s best specialty food festival four times. Organizers state that Picklesburgh contributes to Pittsburgh’s downtown revitalization by increasing tourism and economic activity.