Special Dill-ivery: Picklesburgh Is Coming

PHOTO COURTESY DOWNTOWN PITTSBURGH PARTNERSHIP

Pittsburgh is in a pickle, and that’s just the way the city likes it. 

Picklesburgh, which has been voted America’s best speciality food festival in a reader’s poll by USA Today four times and counting, will return to the Steel City July 16-19 — and organizers say it will be the biggest one yet.

Picklesburgh’s sprawling footprint includes the Roberto Clemente and Andy Warhol bridges, Allegheny Landing, Allegheny Riverfront Park, Fort Duquesne Boulevard (westbound), PPG Plaza, Sixth Street, the newly renovated Market Square and Arts Landing, the Cultural District’s newest and largest outdoor space. The addition of Market Square and Arts Landing is new this year — an expansion that organizers say will accommodate a broader range of vendors, entertainment and “pickle-packed activities.” 

Free and open to the public, the briny festival will also return to a four-day, Thursday through Sunday schedule, offering attendees more time to enjoy the event before the peak weekend crowds. Vendors will be selling a variety of pickle-inspired wares, from pickle beer and pickle-flavored ice cream and gelato to pickle-centric jewelry and apparel. 

Additionally, the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership has announced the online registration date for this year’s Dillcathlon Games at Picklesburgh: registration opened at 10 a.m. on Monday, June 22, and spaces are still available for all events, including a pickle juice drinking contest, a pickle eating contest and bobbing for pickles. Presented by Wingstop, the games kick off Thursday, July 16 and will continue through Sunday’s championship rounds.

“We’re always looking for new ways to bring bold, craveable flavor experiences to our fans, and Picklesburgh is the perfect stage to showcase that passion,” Kalpesh Patel, Wingstop franchisee and CEO of OM Group, says in a statement. “As a proud operator of Wingstop restaurants throughout the Pittsburgh region, we’re excited to deepen our connection with this vibrant community and celebrate one of its most beloved annual traditions.”

He adds that Picklesburgh gives Wingstop the opportunity to unveil something special: a Picklesburgh-exclusive dill pickle flavor created specifically for the event.

“We can’t wait for festivalgoers to experience this unique twist on flavor,” he says.

Contestants in the Dillcathlon Games will compete during a preview round on Thursday, July 16, and preliminary heats on Friday, July 17 and Saturday, July 18, culminating in championships on Sunday, July 19. The winning champion of each event will relish their victory with $500 in grand prize money, a trophy and — most importantly — the coveted title of Duke of Drinking, Earl of Eating or Baron of Bobbing.

“From pickle juice drinking, eating and bobbing, these contests have become one of the most anticipated moments of the festival, and we’re proud to help make this uniquely Pittsburgh tradition truly a big dill,” say Rachael Rennebeck and John Chamberlin of YaJagoff! Media, who will emcee the event.

Over the past 11 years, Picklesburgh has attracted millions of visitors to Downtown, boosting the city’s profile and supporting local artisans, food vendors and small businesses. In 2025, the festival drew more than 208,000 attendees and garnered growing national and international attention. 

Also new this year, a series of adjacent events will complement the festival’s footprint. A dance party dubbed Pickle! At the Silent Disco — a pun on the popular post-punk band Panic! At the Disco — will be held from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. on July 18 at the Plaza at North Shore. A second disco will take place from 10 p.m. to midnight. 

Guests at the disco will be able to pick their own channel on their headphones to dance to a genre of their choice. All attendees are encouraged to wear what inspires them, from pickle-colored greens to sparkling metallics and everything in between.

SugarBird, the Plaza’s all-seasons restaurant and patio bar, is getting in on the pickle disco fun, too. Themed food and drink specials include pickle fries with a dill ranch dip, a pickled peach margarita cocktail, a frozen pickle margarita and a pickled pineapple mojito with pickled jalapenos. 

A special zero-proof option, The Dua Lipa Diet Coke, will also be available. The drink, which has gone viral on social media, consists of Diet Coke, pickle juice and jalapeno juice, giving it the nickname “spicy diet coke.”

Tickets for the silent pickle disco can be purchased here.