Philadelphia hosts The Big Dill pickle festival on National Pickle Day, aiming for a costume record

Organizers of The Big Dill, a pickle festival they promote as the biggest of its kind, are bringing the event back to Philadelphia on Saturday, Nov. 14, which falls on National Pickle Day, according to 6abc Action News and Billy Penn. They hope to set a record for the largest crowd ever costumed as pickles.

6abc reported that the festival takes place at Stateside Live!, part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, and runs between 1 and 9 p.m. Both outlets said organizers want 1,200 people in pickle outfits for the attempt. According to 6abc, each ticket includes a suit, and the suits are numbered.

Kevin Baxter, a co-founder, launched the gathering in Northern Liberties in 2018, and it now travels to several cities, Billy Penn reported. Speaking to 6abc about that first event, Baxter said he saw signs that "there was a pickle revolution coming, and I wanted to be a part of it."

6abc listed the attractions: free tastings from roughly two dozen pickle producers, upward of 50 food sellers, string band music, a pickle-themed rave, contests and an eating championship. Visitors can climb onto a mechanical pickle and see a giant jar that Baxter told the station is 25 feet by 30 feet. CBS Philadelphia likewise mentioned artisan vendors, themed food and the mechanical ride.

Billy Penn interviewed vendors getting ready for Saturday. Niki Toscani, a dietitian who helped start the Fishtown Pickle Project, said she and her husband joined the 2018 festival, then known as Pickledelphia, as vendors. Because organizers asked for a tax ID, the couple made the business official, and the appearance attracted a retailer's attention, she told the outlet.

This year Toscani's team is partnering with other local businesses on items such as a fried pickle egg roll, a vodka drink and a sour beer, and will set up a vintage beverage dispenser filled with pickles and brine, Billy Penn reported. The outlet said other area vendors taking part include Pickle Dude, Delco Dills, Philadelphia Pickle Company and Penny Pickles.

Jackie McGlynn, who leads marketing at the diner Nifty Fifty's, told Billy Penn a pickle milkshake began as an April Fool's social media video. After the clip drew wide attention, Baxter asked the diner to join the festival. McGlynn said customers have responded well this week and the shake could stay on the menu.

In a statement reported by Billy Penn, Baxter cited Pittsburgh's Picklesburgh alongside The Big Dill and said Pennsylvania can "truly call itself the pickle capital of the world."

Compiled by True News from reporting by 6abc Action News, CBS Philadelphia and Billy Penn. Each outlet's original story is linked below.

Originally published by True News: https://truenews.bagleyenterprises.net/stories/1046