Get Your Fill Of Pickled Treats At First-Ever Picklesburgh

by  David Highfield – http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Who doesn’t love a good pickle?!

The pickle is part of Pittsburgh’s heritage.

And this weekend there is a perfect opportunity to celebrate all things pickled.
The first Picklesburgh festival is going on.

• Check out all the Picklesburgh events!
• PHOTOS: Check out more photos of the pickle balloon!

Today on the Rachel Carson Bridge, there was a giant inflatable pickle that had people stopping to snap a picture.

So what’s the big “dill”?

“Whether you’re a pickle aficionado, or pickle curious, we invite you to come on down to Picklesburgh,” said Leigh White with the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership.

It’s all part of the festival bringing nothing but pickles.

“Whether it’s pickled cucumbers, pickled produce,fruits, pickled ice cream, pickled cookies, it’s going to be a great time,” said White.

And it’s all topped off with an amazing 35-foot pickle balloon, made to resemble the original Heinz Pickle pin.

The custom-built balloon was built by the team that also crafts balloons for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

“We’re excited that the blimp is in the air and you can come down and see it in real life, get your picture with the pickle,” said Jennifer Owen with Flyspace Productions.

So if you were ever thinking about learning how to pickle, this is the weekend to do it.

“It’s going to be the best two days ever!” said one pickle lover.

There’s going to be live demonstrations, a pickle juice drinking competition, in addition toentertainment and vendors featuring pickles in every kind of variety.

And the people organizing Picklesburgh hope this year is just the first of many Pickleburghs to come.