Rosendale International Pickle Festival set for Nov. 20

By William J. Kemble, news@freemanonline.com

ROSENDALE, N.Y >> Town Board members have given conditional approval for the 19th annual Rosendale International Pickle Festival on Nov. 20 at the community center on state Route 32.

The festival site plan was reviewed during a meeting Wednesday, with the requirement that it received authorization from fire officials and the town Recreation Commission.

Festival Chairman Billy Liggan said up to 110 vendors are expected to be at the festival, which last year attracted about 8,000 people.

“Last year’s Pickle Festival did a donation to the Recreation Center of about $17,000 to $18,000 for a new floor,” he said. “So all the money the Pickle Festival makes goes back into our community in one way or another.”

Organizers are seeking to have the festival move toward family farms while still providing a wide variety of products.

“We have migrated away from the large pickle producers to smaller independent pickle producers from Vermont, Delaware, Manhattan, and the Hudson Valley,” Liggan said.

“We have the favorites from past festivals,” he said. “We expect vendors will include Pickle Licious and Gary’s Pickles … and we will also have international foods in a category for groceries. There will also be crafts people, so you can do some early holiday shopping without the dangers of Black Friday.”

The event will include competition for pickle producers for best product as well events for visitors. Included will be a pickle triathlon that starts with a pickle eating contest, a pickle juice drinking competition, and pickle tossing contest that has teams that have a pickle pitcher and another person who attempts catch the pickle with their mouth.

The festival is scheduled to take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with a $5 admission at the door. Information is available at (845) 204-8827.