Sullivan Public is bringing back its celebration of all things pickled this weekend, with local food, music, and plenty of pickles.
The second annual Public Pickle Party takes place Sunday, Aug. 30, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. behind the library at 16 Proctor Road in Eldred.
Farmer Austin Nash says the idea grew out of his own garden, where he routinely found himself with more vegetables than he could use.
“I have a pretty big garden,” Nash said. “Every year I have way too many vegetables.”
Rather than pickle everything himself, Nash wanted to share the harvest with the community and give other gardeners a chance to do the same.
This year’s event builds on lessons from the inaugural party, with new activities and vendors joining the lineup. There will be pickle-making, food trucks, pickleball and a pickle-eating contest. Sullivan Public founder Jesse Lazar says they are also adding ice cream to balance out the sourness of the pickles.
People attending the party can bring vegetables from their gardens and jars if they want, but organizers say supplies will also be available for those who don’t bring anything.
For Nash, the appeal of pickling goes beyond the food itself. Preserving vegetables allows people to enjoy the harvest long after the growing season has ended.
Lazar says she experienced that firsthand over the winter, when she opened jars of vegetables she had pickled months earlier.
“It felt so lovely,” she said. “The pickles were delicious.”