Archive for August 2nd, 2024
It’s called Picklesburgh
Friday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Missed out on this party last year, due to a certain series of events, but every summer here in Pittsburgh there’s a festival called ‘Picklesburgh.’
The name sort of explains what it’s about, and this event is a serious draw that pulls tens of thousands of people to it. There’s pickle themed drinks, pickle eating contests, pickle oriented foods, pickles on sticks… it’s all quite briney.
Our Lady and myself headed over to the event early afternoon on a Friday, as we were informed that the Saturday and Sunday crowds would be overwhelming. Four days long, Picklesburgh is.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
It all kicked off Downtown, and we started our explore at ‘Market Square’ and then followed the police barriers to PPG Plaza, pictured above. The presence of crowds of people would have probably annoyed the architect of this space – Philip Johnson – so that made me happy inside.
Vendors were set up at tables along the route. The folks under that green and white tent (for instance) were selling all sorts of alcoholic pickle based concoctions including pickle vodka. Our Lady tried a sample of that particular poison, but she did not buy a bottle.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
It was typical weather for this time of year – here in the Paris of Appalachia – hot, and kind of humid. We fell into observation mode as the last thing either Our Lady of the Pentacle or myself wanted to do was get loaded up with brine based foodstuffs in the summer heat. It was something to see, though, I tell’s you.
Good clean fun.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
By the time we had reached the titular end of the festival’s footprint, the crowds had become massive and kind of scary.
Scary for me at least, but I’m notoriously phobic about this sort of situation. Mobs of people like this present an extremely dangerous set of circumstances should any little thing excite or scare them, and given my particular point of view and baked in anxieties – it was time to get out of dodge and head over to someplace else, with a bit of breathing room where we wouldn’t be part of a herd.
We headed over to the Monongahela River to cross over to the other side with its relatively empty sidewalks via the Smithfield Street Bridge.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
We achieved our goal and walked over the Smithfield Street Bridge, and let me tell you this – lords and ladies – it was hot out. Not a cloud in the sky, direct sunlight, hot.
We decided to head over to what’s apparently my favorite brewery, and grab a beer and a giant glass of water.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Ahh… industrial zones. You don’t have to worry about crowds in industrial zones, instead your cares devolve to just not getting hit by a truck. Home sweet home for one such as myself.
Back next week with something different at this – your Newtown Pentacle.
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