Pittsburgh relishes pre-pandemic visitor levels thanks in part to Picklesburgh
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A record-breaking 250,000 pickle enthusiasts helped bring Downtown Pittsburgh's visitor levels back to pre-pandemic levels in July.
According to data from the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, nearly 1.8 million people visited the Golden Triangle last month. Between visitors, employees and residents, Downtown's daily foot traffic increased to over 100,000 people, which is the highest number since 2020.
The nonprofit credits Picklesburgh in part for the boost, saying a quarter-million people attended the four-day event, a 27% increase over last year's record-setting numbers.
"Our organization is focused on supporting Downtown's recovery and innovative events like Picklesburgh put Downtown Pittsburgh on the map as a not-to-be-missed summer destination for the masses," PDP president and CEO Jeremy Waldrup said in a news release. "It's great to see hundreds of thousands of people from all over the region, the country, and even the world coming here to explore, shop, dine and experience the best our city has to offer, inspiring future visits into the Triangle to support local businesses and enjoy our city."
Picklesburgh debuted in 2019, and has since quadrupled its attendance, moving from the sister bridges to the Boulevard of the Allies. It's been voted the best specialty food festival in America three times by USA Today readers.
Local tourism Downtown surpassed pre-pandemic levels by 16% last month, while out-of-state tourism brought more than 442,000 people from 150 miles away or more to the city, the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership said.