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Get smarter, faster on what matters in Pittsburgh with Alexis Johnson, Ryan Deto, and Chrissy Suttles.

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Pickle pandemonium is back for its 11th year, serving up inventive gherkin-inspired eats, vendors, contests and the return of a bucking pickle Thursday through Sunday.

Why it matters: Picklesburgh is set to pack Downtown and the North Shore with more than 200,000 visitors for what's expected to be its biggest festival yet, expanding into the newly renovated Market Square and Arts Landing.

Zoom in: Dozens of local vendors are serving pickle beer, spirits, fudge, egg rolls, ice cream, cotton candy, cupcakes, pizza, meatballs, pierogies and just about every off-the-rails pickle creation imaginable — from Eat'n Park Smiley cookies and Turner's Pickled Tea to The Brinery at Two Acre Farm's root beer pickle.

There's handmade art, live music, games and crowds decked out in green costumes.

Pickle riding on a custom-built mechanical pickle returns this year. Buy tickets ($12) at its Market Square location. Must be 18+ to ride.

Two photos: left shows a pink iced drink in a clear cup with a green label "Picklesburgh" and a blurred cityscape; right shows pale ice cream with rainbow sprinkles and a wooden spoon.

Thistle Finch pickle lemonade and Millie's pickle ice cream at Picklesburgh 2025. Photos: Chrissy Suttles/Axios

What's new: Pickleball joins the festival lineup at Arts Landing with tournaments, beginner demos and open play. The new courts will remain at Arts Landing after the festival ends.

What to watch: The Dill-Cathlon Games, where champs win $500, concert tickets, street cred and other prizes.

Pickle juice drinking: Competitors slam a quart of Pittsburgh Pickle Company's Picklexir as fast as possible to advance to the finals and compete for the Duke of Drinking coronet.

Pickle bobbing: Whoever devours the most pickles by weight in 90 seconds, no hands, claims the coveted Baron of Bobbing title in the championship.

Pickle eating: Contestants have four minutes to eat the most pickles by weight ("chipmunking" is allowed) for a shot at becoming the Earl of Eating.

Zoom out: The Plaza at North Shore's Pickle! At the Silent Disco is Saturday, with pickle-inspired food and drink specials. Two sessions: 7:30pm-9:30pm and 10pm–midnight. Tickets are $18.

Find other pickle dishes and items at participating Taste of Picklesburgh restaurants and retailers.

Head to the South Side Street Fest's 21+ pickle after-party.

Find flash tattoos at the South Side's Carson Street Tattoo and Downtown's Bridge City Body Art.

By the numbers: Picklesburgh brought more than 208,000 visitors Downtown last year and generated about $20 million in direct spending, per the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership.

If you go: Picklesburgh spans two bridges (Warhol and Clemente), Allegheny Riverfront Park, Market Square, Arts Landing, Sixth Street and PPG Plaza and beyond. Map here

Hours: Noon-10pm Thursday-Saturday; Noon-6pm Sunday.

Expect road closures, find available parking here, and consider taking public transit.

What to eat, see and do at Picklesburgh

At dusk in a busy city, a large yellow Heinz inflatable arch spans the street at a festival, flanked by white tents and banners as a crowd walks beneath.

Photo: Courtesy of Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership

Pickle pandemonium is back for its 11th year, serving up inventive gherkin-inspired eats, vendors, contests and the return of a bucking pickle Thursday through Sunday.Why it matters: Picklesburgh is set to pack Downtown and the North Shore with more than 200,000 visitors for what&#x27;s expected to be its biggest festival yet, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="expanding" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/pittsburgh/2026/06/02/picklesburgh-2026-dates-locations-expansion" data-vars-content-id="4d16aa6a-4a48-4792-8f73-e13be74b699f" data-vars-headline="What to eat, see and do at Picklesburgh" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/pittsburgh/2026/06/02/picklesburgh-2026-dates-locations-expansion" target="_self">expanding</a> into the newly renovated Market Square and Arts Landing.

Things to Do

Culture

You don't go to Picklesburgh to play it safe.

Why it matters: The stranger the food, the better the story.

Close-up of a stacked pastry topped with swirled whipped cream and a yellow lemon garnish, set against a blurred city skyline and green hedge background.

Vanilla with a savory kick. Photo: Chrissy Suttles/Axios

🧁 Patti's Pastries Dilly Dilly Dillicious cupcake

Vanilla cake with pickles baked into the batter, topped with dill buttercream and a pickle slice.

📍 Zone F (Isabella Street, North Shore)

Close-up of a brown Turner's Pickled Iced Tea bottle with a bright green cap, held up in a crowded street market with orange stalls and blurred shoppers in the background.

Turner's tea but tastes a little like vinegar and turmeric. Photo: Chrissy Suttles/Axios

Turner's signature lemon iced tea with Pittsburgh Pickle Co.'s Picklexir.

A close-up of a bright green round fondant cookie or cutter being held, with a bite taken from its edge. The background shows blurred green circular shapes and scattered gold coins.

It tastes exactly how you would expect. Photo: Chrissy Suttles/Axios

Classic Smiley sugar cookies with green pickle-flavored icing.

Close-up of a pickle on a stick in the foreground, with a blurred beige-yellow suspension bridge against a light blue sky in the background.

A pickle on a stick but yeehaw. Photo: Chrissy Suttles/Axios

🤠 Two Acre Farm Rusty Root Beer Stampede

Root beer-flavored pickle made with root beer extract, ginger beer and sarsaparilla drops.

Close-up of a pink beverage in a clear plastic cup with condensation, held in front of a blurred railing and cityscape. The green label on the cup says "PicklesBURGH".

Crisp and refreshing, just a hint of pickle. Photo: Chrissy Suttles/Axios

🍉 Warren Bar and Burrow pickled watermelon margarita

Hornitos tequila, fresh watermelon juice, lime juice, triple sec, house-made pickle brine and pickled watermelon rind. 

If you go: Picklesburgh runs through Sunday. Vendor map here.

Noon-10pm Friday-Saturday; Noon-6pm Sunday.

5 Picklesburgh creations you have to try once

The stranger the food, the better the story.

Green blimp with white "HENZ" and "EST 1869" drifts over a city skyline, above a yellow arch bridge; cables and tall buildings are visible in the background.

The Heinz Picklesburgh balloon with a slightly apocalyptic background thanks to Canadian wildfire smoke. Photo: Chrissy Suttles/Axios

You don&#x27;t go to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Picklesburgh" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/pittsburgh/2026/07/15/picklesburgh-2026-guide" data-vars-content-id="5c3a91b8-6d72-4b5d-857a-313311229095" data-vars-headline="5 Picklesburgh creations you have to try once" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/pittsburgh/2026/07/15/picklesburgh-2026-guide" target="_self">Picklesburgh</a> to play it safe.Why it matters: The stranger the food, the better the story.

Food and Drink

Eat'n Park is giving its iconic Smiley cookie a green, pickle-flavored makeover to celebrate Picklesburgh.

Zoom in: The limited-edition pickle Smiley cookies will be topped with green pickle-flavored icing and Smiley's signature grin.

They'll be sold individually at select Pittsburgh-area Eat'n Park restaurants while supplies last: Waterfront, Avalon, McKnight Road, Whitehall, Banksville, Library Road, Shaler, South Hills Village, Moon Township, Robinson and Waterworks.

The big picture: Eat'n Park is also joining Picklesburgh as a sponsor for the first time, selling pickle Smiley cookies, classic Smiley cookies and Eat'n Park merch at its Sixth Street festival booth.

Picklesburgh, which starts Thursday and runs through Sunday, has built a national reputation for inspiring vendors to push the limits with pickle-inspired drinks, desserts and over-the-top festival foods.

What they're saying: "We're relishing the opportunity to bring two Pittsburgh favorites together," said Amanda Giacobbi, director of restaurant marketing at Eat'n Park Hospitality Group.

What's next: Picklesburgh will span two bridges (Warhol and Clemente), Arts Landing, Allegheny Riverfront Park, Market Square and beyond. Festival map here and vendor lineup here.

Eat'n Park debuts pickle Smiley cookie

The limited-edition pickle Smiley Cookies will be topped with green pickle-flavored icing.

Stack of round cookies with green icing inside a glass jar with a yellow lid; a smiling green cookie rests on a weathered wooden surface as several green-topped cookies spill from the jar.

Pickle-flavored icing tops the limited-edition Smiley Cookie. Photo: Courtesy of Eat'n Park

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Pittsburgh is one of only five major U.S. metros where luxury homes still sell for under $1 million.

Why it matters: Southwestern Pennsylvania remains a relatively affordable housing hub, including for luxury buyers.

Pittsburgh offers high-end homes at bargain prices compared to many peer metros and the coasts.

Zoom in: The 2026 median sale price is $904,202 for a local luxury home (those priced in the top 5% of the market), per new Redfin data from the three months ending May 31 — 34% lower than the typical luxury home nationwide ($1,374,470).

Only Detroit ($719,252) and Cleveland ($833,228) have a lower median price. Cincinnati ($952,523) and San Antonio ($968,344) are the only other metros with median prices under $1 million.

Yes, but: Pittsburgh's year-over-year median luxury sale prices are up 6.1%, higher than the national median increase (4.7%).

The big picture: In Pittsburgh and across the country, demand and prices for luxury homes are rising faster than for middle-market houses, driven largely by the rising stock market and AI boom.

It's the "K-shaped economy" in action, where high earners are thriving while everyone else stagnates or falls behind, Axios' Emily Peck reports.

Zoom out: The number of major metros where luxury homes cost less than $1 million fell from eight to five last year, per Redfin.

San Francisco is the most expensive, with a median sale price of over $6.6 million.

What they're saying: "Luxury home prices have continued to climb because wealthy buyers tend to be less constrained by mortgage rates and more focused on finding the right property," said Redfin senior economist Yingqi Xu.

The bottom line: Homeownership is still out of reach for many, but those who can afford to live lavishly get more bang for their buck here.

Pittsburgh stands out for luxury homes under $1 million

Luxury buyers still get more home for their money in Pittsburgh.

Illustration of old and new keys standing together.

Pittsburgh is one of only five major U.S. metros where <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="luxury homes" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/pittsburgh/2026/06/01/luxury-home-demand-pittsburgh-housing-split" data-vars-content-id="d3bb9a00-3241-4d12-ba3f-57482a383005" data-vars-headline="Pittsburgh stands out for luxury homes under $1 million" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/pittsburgh/2026/06/01/luxury-home-demand-pittsburgh-housing-split" target="_self">luxury homes</a> still sell for under $1 million.Why it matters: Southwestern Pennsylvania remains a relatively <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="affordable" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/pittsburgh/2026/02/19/pittsburgh-homebuyers-biggest-discounts-nation" data-vars-content-id="d3bb9a00-3241-4d12-ba3f-57482a383005" data-vars-headline="Pittsburgh stands out for luxury homes under $1 million" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/pittsburgh/2026/02/19/pittsburgh-homebuyers-biggest-discounts-nation" target="_self">affordable</a> housing hub, including for luxury buyers.

Real Estate

News

The next class of honorees for Pittsburgh's Walk of Fame is set, spanning arts, science, sports and business.

The big picture: The Walk of Fame honors people with ties to Southwestern Pennsylvania who helped shape American culture. Each inductee will be immortalized with a bronze star embedded at the Strip District Terminal sidewalk along Smallman Street.

Legendary Steelers broadcaster and sportswriter Myron Cope, the lifelong Pittsburgher who created the Terrible Towel.

Dancer and choreographer Martha Graham, the "Mother of American Modern Dance," whose pioneering technique remains a global standard.

Charles "Teenie" Harris, the prolific photographer who documented Pittsburgh's Black community for five decades and helped define the visual history of Black America.

Franco Harris, the Hall of Famer who won four Super Bowls with the Steelers and cemented his legacy with the "Immaculate Reception" play before becoming a successful entrepreneur and civic leader.

H.J. Heinz, who built a global food empire around ketchup, pickles and the iconic "57 Varieties" slogan while pioneering food safety standards.

Actress and singer and Westmoreland County-native Shirley Jones, who starred in films such as "Oklahoma!" and "The Music Man," and won an Academy Award for "Elmer Gantry." She later starred as Shirley Partridge in "The Partridge Family."

Mario Lemieux, Penguins Hall of Famer who spent his entire NHL career in Pittsburgh, led the franchise to two Stanley Cups and founded the Mario Lemieux Foundation to support cancer research.

Henry Mancini, the Oscar- and Grammy-winning composer from Aliquippa whose film and TV scores include "Moon River" and "The Pink Panther Theme."

Jimmy Stewart, the Academy Award-winning actor and decorated World War II bomber pilot from Indiana, Pa., who starred in dozens of films including "It's a Wonderful Life," "The Philadelphia Story" and Alfred Hitchcock classics.

George Westinghouse, the inventor, engineer and industrialist who revolutionized the railroad industry and electric power, founding Westinghouse Electric Company still based in Cranberry.

How it works: Public nominations were narrowed by a 150-member selection committee representing colleges, cultural institutions, news organizations and community groups across Southwestern Pennsylvania. The Pittsburgh Walk of Fame board made the final selections.

Flashback: Last year's inaugural Walk of Fame class honored regional luminaries like Michael Keaton, Andrew Carnegie, Fred Rogers, August Wilson, Rachel Carson and Jonas Salk.

What's next: Lemieux will appear at the free public induction ceremony Oct. 13 at 10:30am at The Terminal.

Lemieux, Harris to join Pittsburgh Walk of Fame

The newest class spans sports, arts, science and business.

The 2026 Pittsburgh Walk of Fame inductees. Photos: Courtesy of the Pittsburgh Walk of Fame

The next class of honorees for <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Pittsburgh&#x27;s Walk of Fame" data-vars-click-url="https://pittsburghwalkoffame.org/" data-vars-content-id="ec55b13a-1025-42c7-abad-010878b638d4" data-vars-headline="Lemieux, Harris to join Pittsburgh Walk of Fame" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://pittsburghwalkoffame.org/" target="_blank">Pittsburgh&#x27;s Walk of Fame</a> is set, spanning arts, science, sports and business.The big picture: The Walk of Fame honors people with ties to Southwestern Pennsylvania who helped shape American culture. Each inductee will be immortalized with a bronze star embedded at the Strip District Terminal sidewalk along Smallman Street.

Chrissy Suttles

Featured stories

5 Picklesburgh creations you have to try once

Lemieux, Harris to join Pittsburgh Walk of Fame

What to eat, see and do at Picklesburgh

Pittsburgh stands out for luxury homes under $1 million

Eat'n Park debuts pickle Smiley cookie