Food Festivals

Food and fun just go together and, in Pittsburgh, food is often the reason for the fun.

There's a Pittsburgh Restaurant Week celebration in the winter and summer, neighborhood soup crawls and cookie tours, apple, maple and whiskey festivals. And, Pittsburgh's annual food festivals feature ethnic or traditional foods as well as the music, dance, crafts and culture that go along with them.

Pittsburgh Restaurant Week

Winter: Jan. 2026 (Dates TBA)
Summer: Aug. 2026 (Dates TBA)

Pittsburgh Restaurant Week in January and August each year features more than 50 restaurants offering special dining deals. During the week-long, city-wide event, dine at one of Pittsburgh's finest restaurants and take advantage of three-course, fixed-price meals specials.

Fish Fry Season

Feb. 18-Apr. 2, 2026

Another Pittsburgh food staple is the Lenten Fish Fry. Beginning on Ash Wednesday and continuing every Friday until Easter, you can find great fish fries held in churches, fire halls and community buildings all over the Pittsburgh area.

South Side Soup Contest

Feb. 2026 (Dates TBA)

Soup's on at the South Side Soup Contest. With Butternut Bourbon Bisque and Chipotle Chicken Chorizo, it's mmmmm good! This annual contest warms the heart - and belly. The annual February event allows shoppers in Pittsburgh's funky South Side neighborhood to sample soups from 20 local restaurants for one low price. More than 1,200 people slurped and shopped in the "Soup Hop," which benefits a local food pantry.

One Big Table: An International Feasting

Mar./Apr. 2026 (Dates TBA)

20+ restaurants showcase food from around the world to highlight Pittsburgh's diverse culinary scene and talented chefs with a food fair, entertainment, global marketplace and more. One Big Table is an initiative of Literacy Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh Veg Fair

Spring 2026 | Rockwell Park

Pittsburgh VegFest is celebrating 10 years in a big way with this East End celebration! This free entry food festival will showcase veg food, small businesses and animal welfare NPOs. Seating is available inside once you grab your food truck grub!

Greek Food Festivals

Select dates throughout Pittsburgh May-Sept.

Our Insider's Guide to Pittsburgh Greek Food Festivals provides a complete listing of the many Greek festival dates and locations.

Mac & Cheese Festival

May 2, 2026 | Stacks at 3 Crossings

Top chefs, food trucks and vendors will serve up 30+ kinds of Mac & Cheese for you to sample as we crown the best mac and cheese in Pittsburgh.

Picklesburgh

July 2026 (Dates TBA)

For three days in July, Downtown Pittsburgh will transform into Picklesburgh, highlighted by a giant flying pickle balloon. Picklesburgh is an annual festival that celebrates pickling in all its glorious incarnations and goes beyond the dill pickle to include international dishes and handcrafted foods from local chefs; “how-to” demos; a selection of artisan cocktails; pickle themed merchandise, live music, and even a competitive pickle juice drinking contest.

Little Italy Days

Aug. 2026 (Dates TBA) | Bloomfield

It's all-Italian-all the time at Bloomfield Little Italy Days which takes place at the end of August and features music, food, games and more food! Tacos are more than for Tuesday!

VegFest

Aug. 2026 (Dates TBA) | Allegheny Commons Park

Vegetarians and Vegans are not left out in Pittsburgh! Every summer Pittsburgh gathers for Pittsburgh VegFest, highlighting local vegetable-based restaurants and shops, meat-eaters might just be surprised how satisfied you will be eating a vegetable-based meal!

Pittsburgh Irish Festival

Sept. 5-7, 2025 | Carrie Blast Furnaces

For more than 30 years, Pittsburgh Irish Festival has celebrated the rich culture of Ireland and its unique ties to the Burgh through music, food and dance. You only need to be Irish at heart to join this Only in Pittsburgh celebration!

The Original Pittsburgh Taco Festival

Sept. 6, 2025 | The Stacks at 3 Crossings

Make time for the Pittsburgh Taco Festival, an annual food festival that celebrates tacos and the city's Latin-American community.

Lawrenceville Cookie Tour

2025 Dates TBA | Lawrenceville Businesses

The Lawrenceville neighborhood hosts the annual Joy of Cookies Cookie Tour each December. This free, family-friendly event takes place at more than 30 participating businesses where Cookie Tourists can sample the shopkeeper's favorite cookie.

Apple Festivals

Fall 2025

Fall means apple season in Pittsburgh and the surrounding region. Don't-miss apple festivals include the Hickory Apple Festival and Delmont Apple n Arts Festival which bring a healthy dose of family fun and hundreds of gallons of fresh cider to attendees.

Maple Festivals

March-April 2026

Spring is maple season and the Maple Syrup Festival in Beaver County and Maple Taste & Tour Weekend and PA Maple Festival in Somerset County are your ticket to tree tapping and the freshest maple syrup from the state's top producers.

Authentic Experiences