• by Danielle Oster , July 16, 2025

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 10^th 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 10^th anniversary merchandise.

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."