PHOTOS BY LAURA PETRILLA

A food festival called Bites and Pints is coming to Kennywood in June. The beloved amusement park in West Mifflin enlisted Brian Pekarcik, co-owner of BRGR and former executive chef/co-owner of Spoon, to oversee the development of the menu.

“I know everybody loves their Potato Patch fries, but this will give guests some new and exciting options,” he says.

Bites and Pints is organized into seven international cuisine stations — Italian, Caribbean, Japanese, German, Chinese, French and Mexican — and each station will offer three dishes. You’ll find, for example, greens and beans at the Italian station, pork bao at the Chinese station and beef empanadas at the Caribbean station. Pints of beer, as well as wine, spirits and frozen drinks, will be available to guests, too.

Kennywood park-goers can purchase 8- and 12-item tasting cards (priced at $39.99 and $48.99), with each punch good for a menu item or drink. The cards are good throughout the entire festival and season ticket holders get three additional items on their 12-punch cards. Dishes will also be sold a la carte.

The festival is going to be set up around Kennywood’s lagoon. Additional seating in the form of high-top tables are in the works. The Commonwealth’s COVID-19 public safety protocols also will be in effect.

The festival runs on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays throughout the month, with live entertainment in the evenings. Kenny Kangaroo will be dressed for the occasion as Chef Kenny.

“I’m happy to be partnering with Kennywood on this. I love Kennywood. Who doesn’t? And this festival is a nice way to get people out of their homes and outside into the park,” Pekarcik says.

Kennywood opens for the season on May 8.
4800 Kennywood Blvd, West Mifflin; 412/464-9931, kennywood.com