The Berrien County Historical Association says this summer’s Berrien Springs Pickle Festival was a resounding success.
The event was brought back four years ago after a hiatus since the 1990s. Historical Association President Rhiannnon Cizon tells us attendance has grown each year since the Pickle Fest’s return.
“We had a ton of people,” Cizon said. “We’re looking over 7,000 officially, probably closer to 8,000 because there’s always people who don’t have cell phones so you kind of got to work those folks into it, which is great. It means we have about a thousand person increase over the year before, which is wonderful. Berrien County and the region and even beyond have really embraced the festival in a way that I don’t think we were anticipating four years ago.”
Cizon says people are always asking her, “Why pickles?” The answer is that they’re just fun.
The Pickle Festival also puts the spotlight on the History Center at Courthouse Square because it’s held on the history center grounds. Cizon says the Pickle Fest raised about $700 for the JP Parsons memorial scholarship.
They’re already planning next year’s event. It will once again be held on the Fourth of July, which in 2025 will be a Friday. Cizon expects that to mean even bigger attendance.
