Picklesburgh Wins Best Specialty Food Festival

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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Picklesburgh took top honors in a new reader's choice "Best Specialty Food Festival" contest in America.

The festival won the USA Today contest.

"Thank you so much to the thousands of Pittsburghers who feel passionately about Picklesburgh and brought home another win for the City of Champions," said Jeremy Waldrup, President and CEO of the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership. "Pittsburgh has embraced Picklesburgh in so many ways - by turning out in incredible numbers, creating spectacular culinary creations, impressively drinking pickle juice at lightning speeds, and most of all, embracing a uniquely Pittsburgh experience. We are so honored to have won this incredible distinction."

Thanks in part to daily online voting by Pittsburghers, Picklesburgh was able to edge out festivals from other competitors including Miami, Houston, Louisville and Baltimore.

"Congratulations to Picklesburgh on this fantastic feat! We are so proud to partner with the PDP on hosting this world-class event that is so uniquely Pittsburgh," said County Executive Rich Fitzgerald. "We look forward to fully celebrating this win with the entire region in July!"

Launched back in 2015 and produced by the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, Picklesburgh is a free, three-day, culinary celebration that goes beyond the dill pickle to include international dishes and handcrafted foods from local chefs that feature house-cure pickled vegetables; informative how-to demonstrations which highlight the farm-to-table movement and the rising popularity of DIY canning; fun pickle themed merchandise, live music, a "Li'l Gherkins" area with free kids' activities, and even a competitive pickle juice drinking contest.

The festival will be returning in late July, with dates announced in the coming weeks.