Pickle Paradise Returns To 'Pickle Paradise Of The World' Next Week

ST. CHARLES, IL —Pickle Paradise will be returning to Pottawatomie Park next week.

The St. Charles Park District first hosted the inaugural Pickle Paradise last year and "the community response was fantastic as fans showed their love for pickles," said Taylor Krawczyk, assistant superintendent of recreation for the St. Charles Park District. This year, the event will run from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Friday.

“We were so thrilled,” Krawczyk said.

This year’s events will include a fun run, a sampling of food and spirits made with pickle flavoring and a pickleball tournament.

“We love that people want to come out, enjoy a summer evening in the park and embrace the city’s pickle history,” Krawczyk said.

The St. Charles Park District has assembled a host of local businesses to share samples of their pickle creations in the "Pickle Patch" at the festival. Last year businesses served up pickle-flavored candy, actual pickles and much more, Krawczyk said.

Admission to the "Pickle Patch" is $5 and advance registration recommended as last year’s tickets sold out, Krawczyk said. All proceeds will support the St. Charles Park District’s Financial Aid Program, which helps residents of all ages benefit from the classes and experiences offered through the park district, according to the news release.

Work up a pickle appetite in a petite run through Pottawatomie Park with a refueling stop for a gherkin mid-way in the Dill Dash at 5 p.m. The untimed 1-mile run with a route that involves stairs, a gravel trail and running up a hill includes a complimentary admission to the Pickle Patch pickle product tasting.

Last year participants donned their favorite green accessories, from tutus to green beads, even dressing like a pickle too, park district officials said.

Pickle celebrations include a mixed-doubles pickleball tournament from 4 to 6 p.m. with awards to the top three finishers. Players must be 18 and older and advance registration is required due to limited court space.

For those who prefer their pickle juice chilled, reserve a wristband to Dilly Delights, where Pollyanna and Riverlands Brewing companies will be serving pickle-inspired adult beverages. Must be 21 and older for entry and it’s a cashless purchase for beverages, and save on entry time and reserve a wristband in advance on the park district website.

Krawczyk said there will also be food trucks on site, yard games and entertainment including trivia with volunteers from the St. Charles History Museum, who helped inspire the pickle celebration, sharing how a little pickle publicity helped the city earn its fame.

It wasn’t pickle packing or pickle processing, but rather St. Charles earned its distinction as the pickle capital from the Pickle Packers International, or as it’s known, PPI, an agency designed to promote the benefits of pickles.

The agency’s roots date back to 1892. In the 1960s St. Charles resident William Moore moved the agency to his town, setting up an office at 108 ½ East Main Street during his tenure as president for the agency. Known as Bill “The Dill” Moore, he unofficially named St. Charles the “Pickle Capital of the World” and the moniker stuck, according to a news release.

In 1978 the state legislature made an official proclamation, forever brining the title into the town’s history.