Picklesburgh celebrates all things related to the pickle
Courtesy of the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership
Crowds will be on the Rachel Carson Bridge this weekend for Picklesburgh.
Picklesburgh will celebrate all things pickle-related this weekend.
A Heinz pickle will be flying at this weekend's Picklesburgh festival in downtown Pittsburgh.
Large crowds are expected for Picklesburgh in downtown Pittsburgh this weekend.
Courtesy of the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership
A variety of pickle-related delicacies will be available at Picklesburgh this weekend.
Courtesy of the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership
Pickle juice drinking contests are among the highlights of Picklesburgh.
Collin Chamberlin, a comedian raised in Kennedy Township, is appearing at the Byham Theater in "Pickles & Giggles."
In a long-ago episode of 鈥淭he Simpsons,鈥� Homer Simpson is sipping a beer and watching TV in Moe蘑菇视频 Tavern, when Moe grabs a jar of pickle juice off the counter to pour it down the drain.
Homer exclaims, 鈥淢oe, don鈥檛 throw away that brine!鈥� and proceeds to guzzle it down.
Most of us would not choose to slake our thirst on a hot summer蘑菇视频 day with the salty juices that pickles float in, but select visitors to the Picklesburgh festival in Pittsburgh this weekend will be doing just that when they take part in pickle juice drinking contests. For those who wish to confine their thirst-quenching to more conventional beverages, there will plenty of those to choose from, too, along with music, merchandise, a children蘑菇视频 play area and plenty more.
鈥淚t蘑菇视频 the largest footprint ever,鈥� said Russell Howard, vice president of special events and development for the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership. 鈥淲e expect crowds to reach a new level. It蘑菇视频 designed to accommodate more people comfortably.鈥�
Launched in 2015 to celebrate all things pickle-related and presented by Kraft Heinz, Picklesburgh has twice won honors as the best speciality food festival in America from USA Today, and was designated a 鈥渟ignature event鈥� of the state by the Pennsylvania Tourism Office. This year, it will set up shop at the Rachel Carson Bridge and along the 10th Street Bypass. The festival蘑菇视频 primary entrance will be at 9th Street and Fort Duquesne Boulevard. Most of the prepared food vendors will be at the 10th Street Bypass, which will allow for additional space, more seating and, in the July sun, some much-needed shade.
鈥淚t started with an idea of trying to do something we thought people could relate to,鈥� Howard said.
So just what kind of pickle-based delicacies can visitors expect to find at Picklesburgh? How about bacon-wrapped and cheese-stuffed pickles. There will also be pickle swirl fudge, chocolate-covered pickle popsicles and pickle donuts, ice cream and cupcakes. Howard said the offerings will be 鈥渜uirky,鈥� 鈥渞estaurant-caliber鈥� and 鈥渘ot the typical festival food.鈥� Limited-edition pickle beers made exclusively for Picklesburgh will also be on tap.
And the 2022 Mayor of Picklesburgh will be crowned through a pickle juice drinking contest. Preliminary rounds will be on Friday and Saturday, with finals on Sunday. Limited walk-up opportunities are available to participate but registration beforehand on the festival蘑菇视频 website is encouraged since slots have filled up quickly for previous festivals.
On Thursday, just before the start of Picklesburgh, the Pickles & Giggles Showcase will be at the Byham Theater at 8 p.m. It will feature the touring comedians Jackie Fabulous, Sammy Obeid, Rojo Perez and Steven Rogers. Three comedians with local roots will also be part of the show, including Collin Chamberlin, a 29-year-old Kennedy Township native who moved to New York just before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic to break through in the comedy world. He majored in environmental studies at the University of Pittsburgh, but attended a couple of open-mic nights, took a class at the Arcade Comedy Theater in Pittsburgh and 鈥渨as kind of hooked after that,鈥� he explained over the phone last week.
鈥淏efore you know it, it蘑菇视频 your life,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t蘑菇视频 the most intimate thing you will see live 鈥� a comedian and an audience.鈥� In addition to appearing in 鈥淧ickles & Giggles,鈥� Chamberlin will be making another appearance in the region at the Pittsburgh Improv in Homestead on Sunday, July 31.
鈥淧ickles & Giggles鈥� is being presented by the Downtown Partnernship and the National Comedy Center in Jamestown, N.Y. A two-and-a-half-hour drive from Pittsburgh, it opened in 2018, and was designated by Congress in the following year as the country蘑菇视频 official comedy museum and cultural institution. The Arcade Comedy Theater will be showcasing pickle-themed stand-up and improv shows on Friday and Saturday in conjunction with Picklesburgh.
Hours are noon to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free. For more information, go online to www.picklesburgh.com.