One of Southwest Michigan’s fastest growing summer events is set for July 4.
The sixth annual Berrien Springs Pickle Festival makes its return on the holiday with more than 6,500 people expected to attend.
The Pickle Fest was a staple of the community for years back in the 90s and into the early 2000s, but fizzled out due to a lack of resources. Village of Berrien Springs Trustee Zachary Fedoruk tells us the community saw fit to bring the event back in 2021, and it’s been a resounding success ever since.
“It just went away,” Fedoruk said. “We just didn’t have the community support with the way it was being run at that time. And six years ago, the council got together and said, ‘We need to bring this back and bring this back in real fashion.’ And so it has come back in a much bigger way than it ever was, which is kind of why it died off in the first place. It was a good day of events and little kid games and things like that, but not a whole lot of real involvement in it. And now it’s become this wonderful thing that brings in thousands of people to our community.”
Berrien Springs Community Engagement Director Jenifer Marren tells us they’ll be set up at Courthouse Square and the History Center at Courthouse Square with more than 50 vendors.
“Sprinkled in there will be obviously a variety of pickle vendors,” Marren said. “New this year is we have extended across the way to Memorial Park, which is a public park here in Berrien Springs. And that is going to now be home to the famous Pickle Fling, thanks to Flamm Pickle and Packing Company.”
Marren says that’s not all they’ll move to Memorial Park.
“Memorial Park will be taken over with the dunk tank. Flamm’s will be there on site trying different varieties of relishes, which is really fun. And then there will be merch available that will also go back to Courthouse Square, a free ice cream social like we have had traditionally, and we have a new kids’ corner, which we’re really thrilled to share about. It’s called Dillard’s Crunchy Kids Corner.”
Marren says the pickle tasting room will not be a feature of the festival this year because they’re shaking up that aspect of the day.
“We are making it an interactive tasting station and area. So what does that mean? That means now we are really highlighting those pickle vendors, obviously. And you get to go and you’re encouraged to go seek them out and try them.”
Some of the pickle vendors may offer free samples. Visitors will have to pay them a visit to find out.
In addition to the pickles, the festival will feature the popular Pickle Fling contest, the record for which was set back in the 90s at 292 feet. Fedoruk says a local baseball player accomplished that feat.
“I’m the person that calls out the distances during the throw every year, and I go out and I mark on the ground where it is just to give people an understanding of how far it can be thrown. Nobody’s really come close. We haven’t broken 200 feet much at all. So, he set a good standard for sure.”
The Pickle Festival will also feature Big Wheel races, a dunk tank, and additional seating and picnic areas to accommodate the growing crowds hungry for pickle-related experiences.
So, why pickles?
“Why not pickles?” Fedoruk said.
The 2026 Berrien Springs Pickle Festival is Saturday, July 4 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., making it the perfect way to spend the day before preparing for Fourth of July fireworks. Everyone’s invited to attend and relish the good fun.
