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City To Transform Into "Picklesburgh" During July Food Festival

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Pittsburgh palates have been picky over pickles ever since H.J. Heinz founded his company in 1888. Five years later, the Heinz pickle pin was the hit of the Chicago World's Fair.

Wednesday afternoon, Jeremy Waldrup and the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership chose the Heinz History Center as their setting to announce a mid-July pickle festival on the Rachel Carson Bridge.

A gigantic balloon will hover over dozens of vendors, who will peddle pickle products as the bridge is magically transformed into Picklesburgh, Pennsylvania. That event sounds like a real dilly.

Waldrup presented Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald with a large, stuffed "pickle" as a Picklesburgh promotion.

"Americans consume 26 billion pounds of pickles a year," he informed museum guests. "Or nine pounds per person."

That average is likely to go up on Picklesburgh weekend.

"We will have more than 40 vendors offering hand crafted, ready to eat foods from local chefs, many of whom pride themselves on incorporating house cured pickled ingredients," Waldrup said.

He says the two-day event begins Friday afternoon, July 17.

"We expect 120,000 folks that work downtown, to stay downtown, and play that evening. Plus, we think thousands of families will come in on Saturday to enjoy what will be a true family friendly experience."

Undoubtedly, an event to relish.

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