CANTON − ‘Tis the season for Thanksgiving turkey, Christmas tree decorating, early gift buying … and pickles.
This past summer’s Canton Pickle Fest was so successful that organizers are bringing a holiday edition to the Stark County Fairgrounds. And they promise a pickle paradise packed with a variety of vendors and pickle-licious eats such as pierogis, fresh-cut fries and beef jerky, along with pickle-infused cocktails and beer.
The Canton Holiday Pickle Fest will be 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 30 in Exhibition Hall at the fairgrounds, 305 Wertz Ave. NW. General admission tickets are free and can be reserved at https://www.eventbrite.com/d/oh–canton/canton-pickle-fest/. Early-entry VIP tickets, ranging from $5 to $10, can be purchased online or at the door.
The special event follows Canton Pickle Fest in June, which attracted more than 8,000 people from across the country, organizers said. A second summertime Canton Pickle Fest is scheduled for June 21 at Centennial Plaza in downtown Canton.
Heading and coordinating the events is Matt Burton of LHG Productions.
“The energy was contagious, and the buzz surrounding our first-ever festival was nothing short of amazing,” the announcement said.
Vendors coming from Cleveland, Michigan and New York
Several pickle vendors will be featured, including the Cleveland-based Randy’s Pickles; Dill Daddy Pickles of Michigan; and The Crazy Cucumber of Ohio.
Also on hand will be 5 Star Pickles and Sausage; The Akron Pickle; BJ’s Gourmet Garlic; Lang’s; M&M Pickles of New York; and Mr. Crisp Pickle Co. Styles of pickles vary from boldly flavored to crunchy.
BJ’s Gourmet Garlic was among the more popular vendors at Canton Pickle Fest this past summer. BJ’s inventory sold out.
BJ’s and other vendors will be offering new flavors. Dill Daddy Pickles also sells pickle hot sauce.
Pickle mac n’ cheese, fried pickles and pickle cupcakes
Pickle-centric food trucks also will be serving tasty eats, including mini-doughnuts topped with pickle candy; pickles on a stick; pickle macaroni and cheese bowls; fried pickles; and pickle chips.
There’s also pickle-enhanced popcorn, freeze-dried candy, cupcakes, fudge, cookies and artisan marshmallows.
Pickle-themed merchandise will be for sale, including T-shirts, mugs, stickers, magnets and limited-edition reusable shopping bags.
Bring two cans of food and get a pickle prize
Fun also will be in store for kids, including an art space. Attendees also can partake in a scavenger hunt and win prizes.
A raffle will benefit the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank. Prizes include pickle-themed gift baskets. The grand prize is a Nintendo Switch OLED. Raffle tickets will be for sale at the event.
A food drive will benefit the food bank. A Canton Pickle Fest prize will be given to those who bring two non-perishable items. Donations can be dropped off at the official Canton Pickle Fest booth.
For information about volunteer opportunities at Canton Pickle Fest, go to https://www.visitcanton.com/partners/volunteers/.
Reach Ed at ebalint@gannett.com. On X (formerly Twitter) @ebalintREP and Instagram at ed_balint
This article originally appeared on The Repository: ‘Tis the season for dill. Canton Holiday Pickle Fest coming to Stark Fairgrounds
Reporting by Ed Balint, Canton Repository / The Repository
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