Picklefest | August First Fridays
Friday, August 2, 5 – 9 p.m.
Join us for a celebration of all things pickled! Downtown Goshen’s inaugural Picklefest features a variety of pickle-based dishes, a pickleball tournament, a mechanical bull, fun activities for kids, and live music!
Participating merchants will have their doors open throughout the evening for all kinds of family-friendly fun, all while Goshen’s downtown eateries provide delicious meals featuring an exciting and unusual selection of pickled delights.
Enjoy free entertainment from the Miller Poultry Main Stage!
- 5 – 6 p.m.
Contra Dancing - 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Grupo Marca Grande - 8 – 9 p.m.
Heyzeus
Entertainment
Enjoy great times with family and friends, sample pickled items you never knew existed, enjoy live music and entertainment, and try out the Mechanical Bull (perhaps before you’ve hit the First Fridays beer garden) or try your hand at the Viewrail Dunk Tank to raise some money for Ryan’s Place. Don’t forget to play pickleball games at First State Bank for a chance to win prizes. And make sure to cheer on some of the best pickleball players in the region as they compete for the title of Picklefest Champions!
The Pickleball Tournament has been rescheduled to September 14 at the Goshen Soccer Academy. Please visit the registration page for more details!
Our events operate with the love and help of many sponsors and volunteers. Join us!
Food and Drink
Downtown restaurants and bars will be open throughout the evening to fuel up both spectators and participants alike.
You can also grab a beer from the First Fridays Beer Garden hosted by Elephant Bar! Be sure to grab a pint of pickle beer from the Gherkin Firkin!
- Stop by The Window for tacos from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. in support of their services!
- JoJo’s Pretzels will be serving up fresh Dill Pickle Pretzels 25% off.
- Common Spirits will feature their Fried Pickle cocktail, Donna’s Pickle Beer, and a Fried Pickle food special!
- Get a pint and fried pickles at Goshen Brewing Company.
- Have fun playing Pickle Roulette at The Nut Shoppe!
Kids Activities
Goshen Parks and Recreation offers family-friendly games along Main Street, and the Chill Zone, presented by DJ Construction and the Boys and Girls Club of Elkhart County, will be open for business!
Be sure to drop by the information table to participate in the Pickle Scavenger Hunt for a chance to win a Downtown Goshen prize package!
- Create your own bookmark at Fables Books from 5 to 7 p.m.
Downtown Business Promotions
Businesses feature games and specials to help competitors improve their performance: games, outdoor activity items, athleisure, shoes, sports, and spectator apparel.
- Check out the display of “pickle” related books and meet author M.L. White from 6-8 p.m. at Fables Books!
- 20% off all things “pickle” at Maple City Market!
- The Soapy Gnome will feature pickle merch alongside their massive 50% off sale (pickle items excluded).
- Live music from Quentin Flagg from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. on the lawn of Goshen City Church of the Brethren
- Enjoy 30% off sandals and summer apparel at Woldruff’s Footwear and Apparel.
Don’t forget to drop by these Downtown Goshen businesses set up on the festival grounds: Braly’s Barber Den, The MAC, Studio 106, and Cressy & Everett.
Thank you August First Fridays Sponsors!
Downtown Goshen Inc. and First Fridays are here to celebrate Goshen and the wonderful arts and community that we share. That means that if you attend an event in downtown Goshen, your image might appear in a future celebration of that event or a promotion of one of our future events. This is because our community is the most essential part of First Fridays! We pride ourselves in being an organization that celebrates everyone and will do our best to present you in the best way possible. We are incredibly proud and happy that you enjoy our events and that you are part of our fantastic community! Thank you for joining us at First Fridays and having fun in downtown Goshen.
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