Last week’s visitors to Picklesburgh, the annual summer
event in Pittsburgh celebrating all things pickled, had the chance to try a new attraction it seems fair to say they won’t find anywhere else: a rideable mechanical pickle (like a mechanical
bull, but resembling a pickled cucumber instead).
The new attraction was added in celebration of the 10th anniversary of Picklesburgh. According to the Pittsburgh Downtown
Partnership, the festival has grown tenfold since its inception in 2015, while receiving coverage from national outlets including Food Network, “Good Morning America,” and the
“Today Show,” and was named USA Today’s “Best Specialty Food Festival” four times. Last year, the event had 250,000 attendees and generated $23.2 million in direct
revenue for downtown businesses, according to Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership. This year’s event included other new additions, such as new food and beverage items, and commemorative
10th anniversary merchandise.
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The festival is part of the organization’s effort to draw visitors to Pittsburgh’s downtown area, which the city is investing in
revitalizing.
"Picklesburgh has always been about more than just pickles – it's about bringing people to downtown Pittsburgh," said Jeremy Waldrup, president and CEO of the
Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership. "Ten years later, it's become a symbol of what's possible when cities invest in public spaces. We're drawing hundreds of thousands of people downtown and reminding the
country that Pittsburgh is a city on the rise."