Take your pick of dill-icious treats at downtown Belleville’s Pickle Palooza
If you’re looking for something fun — and flavorful — to do this weekend, check out Pickle Palooza in downtown Belleville on Saturday.
Starting at 10 a.m., the third annual event features a variety of food and drink specials, treats, gifts, and activities at participating businesses. All pickle related, of course.
Vendors and participating retailers will be ready to welcome customers throughout the day. Vendors will be available 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the front courtyard at Bennie’s Pizza Pub.
Halo has a display of pickle-themed products including tote bags, beach towels, and travel cups. Belleville Books has pickle-centric kids books and pins, books on canning, and 3D-printed boxes of the building with a giant pickle on top.
Hours of operation for individual businesses will vary.
Activities during Pickle Palooza include a Pickle Hunt, rides on a mechanical pickle for the 21-and-older crowd, and a pickleball tournament, which is new this year. Registration for the tournament starts at 10:30 a.m. Saturday and takes place on South High Street.
Sugar High owner Amber Weiss is looking forward to the event and has been planning her part in it for a year.
New food items include the pickle bombs (a hollowed-out pickle half filled with cream cheese and hot sauce, wrapped in bacon) and a new dessert with a pickle, Nutella and peanut butter dipped in white chocolate.
“When this event ends, I’m already planning for the next one,” she said.
As for what else is available for consumption, it’s all pickles, all day long. Here are some of the special menu goodies on offer:
Abe’s Gourmet Popcorn: Popcorn flavors of dill pickle, spicy dill pickle, pickle taco, nacho dill, cheddar dillish, creamy dill; Pickle Cotton Candy and Pickle Fudge; dill slushies and dill pickle margaritas;
Bennie’s Pizza Pub: pickletini, pickle spritzer, pickle bread, pickle pizza, pickle shots, pickle lemonade, beer & a spear, pickle Bloody Mary, dill pickle wings;
Copper Fire: Pickle de gallo with chips, fried pickle chips with ranch, loaded fried pickles (beer cheese, bacon, dill ranch), a “Big Pickle” burger, sauced dill pickle wings, and pickle-themed cocktails;
Pour 322: Spicy pickle mangonada, bacon melt with pickle tzatziki and pickle margarita salsa;
Shoehorn Brewing: Pickle Madness Sour Ale;
Sugar High: Pickle shots, chocolate-covered pickles, pickle donuts, pickle cupcakes and mini cakes, chickles (pickle spear wrapped in fried provolone), bacon pickle bombs, pickle rangoon, pickle lemonade and dirty soda, pickle-themed dog treats.
The event is hosted by:
- Abe’s Gourmet Popcorn, 101 E. Main St.
- Bennie’s Pizza Pub, 113 E. Main St.
- Blanquart’s Rusty Gem Vintage Market, 26 E. Main St.
- The Candy Bar, 3 S. High St.
- Charlie’s Place, 200 Mascoutah Ave.
- Copper Fire, 200 E. Main St.
- Elated Hearts, 25 E. Main St.
- Halo Boutique, 24 E. Main St.
- I Had That, 116 E. Main St.
- Local Lucy’s, 122 E. Main St.
- Maya Juice Bar, 106 E. Main St.
- The Office Lounge, 21 N. Church St.
- Pour 322, 322 E. Main St.
- Sawdust & Glitter, 16 S. Illinois St.
- Shoehorn Brewing, 225 E. Main St.
- Sugar High, 100 E. Main St.
- The Tea Spot, 28 E. Main St.
Pickle Palooza is free and open to the public. Tickets and registration are not required. For more information, visit explorebelleville.net.
This story was originally published July 17, 2026 at 12:04 PM.
