Local Event Picklefest
What happens at it? I love me a good pickle, but in their website it looks like you pay $25 to get in and that includes... Nothing. Like you spend $25 for the opportunity to purchase pickles?
Folks who have gone before, is there music, entertainment or other things to warrant the entry fee? Overall, was it worth it?
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u/Old_Management_1997 4d ago
So many of these "events" nowadays involve massive price tags just to get through the door and then once you are in they nickle and dime you at every corner.
Unless you have deep pockets its just never worth it.
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u/Ok-Swim5744 4d ago
Pickle and dime?
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u/Bronlonius 4d ago
Not if you do your due dill-igence.
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u/VarietyOk443 4d ago
None of these jokes are kosher
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u/durinsbane47 4d ago
How do these bad jokes keep getting? Someone must have left the door a-jar
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u/Asleep_Machine48 4d ago
I do relish in a good pickle pun
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u/Dangerous-Fun-7242 4d ago
These jokes are my bread and butter
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u/the_421_Rob 4d ago
I hate the pay an entry fee so you can spend more money Buisness model
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u/ok-est 4d ago
I'm ok with an entry fee, (although the $25 is steep) , if there are things to do.
Like at Mexifest last year, I saw wrestling for the first time, two kinds of dancers, listened to some live music. There were shops to peruse and while I did pay alot for the food, it was incredible food. Totally worth (the much more affordable) entry fee.
But on the pickle fest website they didn't describe anything, just list the vendors.
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u/YuzuMangoPearls 3d ago
The Christmas markets are like that!! The spruce Meadows one at least gives you stuff to look at. The one up in Banff? They charge you like $35 to just walk around a building that's smaller than a school gym, and there's one dude outside, cold and on his guitar.
You basically pay to go into these Christmas markets, just so you can buy from the vendors. I told the jam lady it was my last year buying from her because the entry fee was so absurd I'm not going back there ever again.
Also why the hell is the "Christmas Market" over by Dec 1st? It's actually a November market since these places never actually go until Christmas.
This has nothing to do with pickles. I just saw a place where I could rant about absurd market entry fees.
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u/marnimum 3d ago
I am part of the Artist Collective for Hand Made Here...thought I'd mention that we have no cover, free parking, coffee and home made treats. Triwood Community Centre in November. <3
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u/YuzuMangoPearls 3d ago
Yes! more stuff like this is needed around Calgary. Thank you for letting me know, will make a reminder for November.
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u/Short_Stormtrooper 4d ago
I’m not hurting for money and it’s still not worth it. Just doesn’t feel like good value.
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u/jayman213 Lake Bonavista 4d ago
In case any organizers read this....
This is right up my alley.
I would have attended and based on proven numbers, likely dropped a fair amount of bucks.
I would not pay more than 5 dollars entry fee.
The fact that it is 25+ got an audible laugh out of me and I will not attend.
I bet lots of others feel the same way too.
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u/imaybeacatIRl 4d ago
Ditto. All these pay dearly to become an exploitable captive audience events are a hard no for me.
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u/Propaganda_Box 4d ago
At this point I've pretty much given up on Calgary food festivals in general.
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u/plush_berry 4d ago
Visiting Calgary from Edmonton at the moment and was hoping to convince my friends to go with me but for someone less interested, the ticket prices made it a really hard sell
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u/LawyerYYC 3d ago
Have you considered just adding some dill seasoning to the lake and hosting your own picklefest?
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u/NeedleworkerHot3957 7h ago
I came to reddit to find this out. It's in Vancouver soon and couldn't find what there is to do once we pay the $25+ people watch? there was no mention of music! nothing, pickle eating contest? nothing! pickle beer?
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u/anhedoniandonair 4d ago
$25 would get you a decent amount of pickles. Even in this economy. I’d rather sit at home with my jar of pickles on my couch like the slob I am.
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u/ok-est 4d ago
Right, I could invest in some Bubbies and still have cash left over!
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u/anhedoniandonair 4d ago
I could even get a jar of fancy pickles. Or homemade ones at the farmers market. Or add a chunk of cheese and some crackers.
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u/Mutex70 4d ago
a jar of fancy pickles
Maybe some dijon pickles! (with apologies to BNL)
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u/anhedoniandonair 4d ago
I LOVE mustard pickles… never thought about Dijon mustard pickles.
https://giphy.com/gifs/oHiXra5k7O41i2
u/feistyfish 3d ago
Oh man, maille makes these amazing cornichons, they're expensive but they're sooooo tasty
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u/anhedoniandonair 3d ago
Bet they’re not more than $25. Seriously Redditors should organize a pickle fest with admission being a jar to share.
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u/Lorgin 4d ago
Here's what Victoria thought. I have to assume it's the same organizers.
https://www.reddit.com/r/VictoriaBC/comments/1vpgu9i/picklefest/
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u/gaanmetde 4d ago
Their website has literally zero info on what this event is.
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u/might_be-a_troll 4d ago edited 4d ago
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u/jezebel_jessi 4d ago
Definitely won't notice that we spelled the name of the venue hosting our event wrong.
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u/srirachabagel 4d ago
Both my husband and I could not open the FAQ page at all either. It says “are children allowed?” and then doesn’t answer the question. Not very helpful…
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u/ok-est 4d ago
So it wasn't just me!
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u/gaanmetde 4d ago
I feel like for a $25 entry fee you need to tell people what that gets you. I’m assuming just access to…pay more for pickles?
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u/noveltea120 4d ago
This sounds just like the Ribfest- a money grabbing opportunity. Why are they charging a fee, much less a $25 FEE, just to get in?
I know some people love pickles but not for $25 lmao
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u/Academic_Bug2357 4d ago
For $25 I feel like I can go to the grocery store and really splurge on any pickle flavoured items my heart desires.
Hell let's organize a group event, everyone spends $25 on pickle snacks, and we meet up in a public park to share. We'll start our own picklefest.
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u/ok-est 4d ago
I'd come! We'll call it PickleFeast.
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u/Academic_Bug2357 4d ago edited 4d ago
I'm actually not all that passionate about pickles, but if you wanna take the idea and run with it I wish you a wonderfully tangy event.
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u/RokitEightyEight 4d ago
This looks like every kind of new event that has popped up in the social media age. It's going to be overpriced and suck.
Everything is just Wonka Fest repackaged
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u/HuhWhatOh 4d ago
What’s the dill with these Picklefest entry fees?
https://giphy.com/gifs/l047cKLNO8It7OhlOZ
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u/illmatix 4d ago
haha classic Calgary events. Pay to access an area to then have to pay for everything else.
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u/Mental_University_88 4d ago
Just went to Picklefest Victoria.. And can confirm, it isn't worth the price for a ticket. The lines were absolutely outrageous for quite literally every single thing. There was not a single free sample of pickle anything.. The cocktails they served were $12.00 for a 1oz bevvy that they cracked open and poured out of a can. No pickle craft cocktails. Had a $8.00 single scoop of "troPickle" ice cream that was meh. I wouldn't go again, or recommend anybody spend the money on.... Nothing. 🫠
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u/undersignedeliza Quadrant: SW 4d ago
This is a new event program across the nation so you might not have much success unless somebody went already in another city. I'd try that city sub and search in there
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u/Call_Me_Squishmale 4d ago
$25 bucks, yeesh. Ribfest was $5 to get it and you had to pay for everything inside, but the music and the kid's play areas, etc. were included.
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u/Curius0ne 4d ago
Oh damn. I was considering if I wanna go not knowing the 25 buckeroo entry fee. No thank you
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u/lartmydude 4d ago
For $25 I better have Mayor J there partying with us and eating pickles then it may be partially worth it 🤣
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u/MightyMoose91 4d ago
I got tickets, I didnt pay, I will report back!
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u/ok-est 4d ago
I await your report!
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u/MightyMoose91 3d ago
So yeah $25 to get in, you get a reusable bag, a pickle, some chips and some other, wet chips, lets call them. $40 min for swag like tees and caps, $70 for sweaters. Not as many vendors as I had hoped, the Korean river radish stand was unique. Some simple contests and local band music. A unique beer from the brewery it was located at and some pickle themed food. All in all I left wanting more. Entry fee shouldn't be more than $10, felt more like a $5 visit, keep the free stuff they gave me, and I would be alot more content with it. Needs some more work in the future 6.5/10.
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u/LetMeKermitSucide 3d ago
I just left pickle fest... So not worth it lol. You pay a ridiculous amount to get in, then it's just merch, and a farmers market. That literally all it is is a farmers market with some pickle stuff thrown in 😫
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u/No-Beach81 4d ago
I don’t like to take part in the usual doom and gloom and over the top negativity in the sub Reddit but when it comes to these Festivals, Calgary is by far the worst city in the world that I’ve been to at hosting them.
Always ridiculous entrance fees with vendors that look like they’ve just grabbed stuff from dollarama and the same old food trucks serving food which has little to do with the actual festival itself
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u/ElusiveSteve 4d ago
From other posts, it sounds like the organizers also take a big cut from the vendors too, which causes prices to inflate. There's little vetting on vendors, almost anyone can sign up as long as they put in a half assed effort to fit the theme.
I don't go to these things, but I'd bet that if you want to have the best experience at a festival, look for one put on by a cultural community group. Their goals will often go beyond making the most money off an event.
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u/Infamous_Exit_8010 4d ago
How do people keep falling for this kind of shit. You dont need to pay a fee for an "event" to have a fun time on the weekend. Go to the river and have a picnic, go to a patio and have a couple drinks, chat up the table next to you. Go for a bike ride on the river.
Go enjoy the city, you don't need an admission ticket.
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u/muchfanfear 4d ago
Sounds like a typical Calgary food or drink festival
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u/ok-est 4d ago
Is that a typical entry fee given that includes no tickets, no drinks, justgets you through the door to a bunch of vendors?
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u/muchfanfear 4d ago
I went to some like that when I first got here and couldn’t believe it. I lost hope in them pretty quickly.
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u/ok-est 4d ago
Mexifest and the Japanese Festival and Chinatown market days are fun with lots to do and see. This just seems designed for wannabe influencers.
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u/noveltea120 3d ago
Yeah all Chinatown festivals are free and they hold festivals all the time cos there's a lot in Chinese culture 😂 There's literally lantern festival coming up and mid autumn festival.
Fiestaval is also free and so is the Filipino one which is held later in sep this year.
I only ever go to free events cos I don't believe in paying to get in just to spend more money on food and drinks lol. I hate how so many events are blatantly exploitative and charge entry fees when they're also making money from the vendors and tents that pay to be there.
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u/FloatyMcSmiles 4d ago
Seems to have become common. People pay to get in to be able to purchase stuff. I do not understand it.
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u/Speuce 4d ago
I mean charging entry for an event isnt anything new. $25 is a bit steep, though. Thats basically as much as it is to get into stampede but with nothing included.
Is it really that hard for these event organizers to throw in a $10 pickle voucher or something to make it worth it and support the vendors?
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u/Snow-Bank-Igloo 4d ago
I made 6 litres of pickles in an hour. I’ll stack Baba’s pickle recipe to anything they’ve got
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u/AnythingWooden8070 4d ago
I just picked up 10lbs of fresh cukes from my local farmers market for $30, I'll be making my own pickles.....with blackjack and hookers
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u/Turkzillas_gobble 4d ago
Are pickles perhaps too specific of a subject to build a fest around? I like pickles as much as the next guy but I struggle to think of what a satisfying festival of pickles would be like. Pickle-themed stage acts? Carrying around ten pounds of pickle jars in your pickle-themed backpack? Could I myself be transformed into a pickle, Rick-style?
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u/Any_Application4738 4d ago
I paid, im going, i'm gonna go have some fun. Fuck it when dinner costs me and the wife 80$ for a burger and a beer at leapods what diffence does it make. I can say I went to something unique had a few weird pickle things and drank a few good beers. Hopefully a fun band is playing, the sun is shining and I can get 2 or 3 hours of entertainment for 100$ or less. If i'm getting 25$ an hour ROI i'm fine with it.
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u/Any_Application4738 2d ago
Love getting downvoted for being positive and giving my perspective stay stuffy Calgary. For the record the bands that played just on their own were worth price of admission and the vibe was nothing but smiles and families having fun. 10/10 would participate and spend under 100$ to attend again.
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u/Mysterious-Street966 4d ago
25$ is for the back end and rentals. They had the founder on QR the other day talking about this. They basically just want to cover the cost of entertainment and security etc. Frankly, you can’t even get a decent lunch for 25$, so I think that’s reasonable.
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u/whethermachine 4d ago edited 4d ago
It costs money to organize events. Tickets compensate the organizers.
EDIT: If you don't see value in the effort other people expend organizing things for the community, you might be taking a lot of wonderful things for granted.
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u/jayman213 Lake Bonavista 4d ago
Yes, this is commonly understood and unnecessary to explain.
If your event is so poorly organized that an exorbitant fee is required then thats an event problem not an attendee problem.
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u/AlbertaAcreageBoy 4d ago
Judging by the comments from the event in Victoria, they can go f themselves.
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u/yboy403 4d ago
Tickets compensate the organizers. Fees paid by vendors compensate the organizers. Advertising and sponsorships compensate the organizers.
At some point those things should balance out to produce an event with reasonable entry fees, fair food and merchandise pricing, and an enjoyable program that doesn't have a ton of ads and sponsorships shoehorned in. If you can't get to that equilibrium, either run the event better or reconsider whether it's economically viable.
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u/might_be-a_troll 4d ago
True Pickle aficionados should give freely and volunteer to spread the message of their sweet and sour vegetables
Also, happy six-year Reddit cake day /u/whethermachine
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u/yyctownie 4d ago
I can guarantee they are also taking a cut of the vendor's sales. So they are being compensated well without a $25 entry fee.
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u/Acceptable-Arugula69 Rocky View County 4d ago
Yes, there are over 40 vendors and lots of activities for everyone. It’s not just an entrance fee to go purchase pickles. I’ve never been, but a quick google search tells you everything you need to know. ✌🏻
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u/yyctownie 4d ago
The link that someone posted to the BC event would suggest that it's just a waste of time and money.
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u/Acceptable-Arugula69 Rocky View County 4d ago
Huh? We were talking about the Calgary one. The people I know that have gone had a good time.
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u/ok-est 4d ago
Oh do tell. No one else on here was able to shed a light in the "lots of activities for everyone" including those of us that looked at the website. What are those activities?
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u/Acceptable-Arugula69 Rocky View County 4d ago
Here you go!
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u/etherealexperience 4d ago
That’s an absurd entry fee.