2026 North Carolina Pickle Festival

Choose one of two NEW routes through picturesque Wayne County and beyond, with SAG stops throughout. All routes  (29 miles and a full metric century 100k/64 miles) are on hard surface country roads. Inline skaters welcome!

This year's event will include 3 fully stocked aid stations serving water, Gatorade, snacks, PB&J and of course, Mt. Olive Real DILL Pickle Juice!  There will be SAG support with a master mechanic, jars of pickles for every participant and commemorative t-shirts celebrating the 40th Annual NC Pickle Festival and Mt. Olive Pickle's 100th Anniversary!

The event is coordinated this year by The Salty Turtle Cycling Club (a huge thanks to Haydn Frost and The Salty Turtle Cycling Club!) and a portion of the proceeds will benefit the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center in Surf City, NC.

After the ride, enjoy the North Carolina Pickle Festival, which runs in downtown Mount Olive until 6 p.m. Riders will have the option to catch a shuttle from the finish line to the festival downtown and will receive a $10 food truck voucher to redeem with participating vendors. For festival details, go to www.ncpicklefest.org.

If Peter Piper ate his weight in Mt. Olive pickles, how many Mt. Olive pickles did Peter Piper eat? 

It doesn't really matter, does it? We want to know how many Mt. Olive pickles can YOU eat, and how quickly can you eat them!  If you think you have what it takes to win, register here for a chance to be selected for the 2026 North Carolina Pickle Festival's Pickle Eating Contest! 

The Pickle Eating Contest takes place at our main stage area on Saturday, April 25th at noon. Up to 20 contestants will be accepted to participate. Contestants will be selected from this pre-registration only.

For the contest, each participant will receive a tray of Mt. Olive whole Kosher Dills. Each tray will contain 20 pickles. Participants will be given 5 minutes to eat as many as they can.  Prizes will be awarded to First Place and Runner Up, declared based on the number of pickles eaten. Partially eaten pickles will only be counted in the event of a tie. All decisions made by event judges are final. Winners will receive a trophy and a cash prize. In celebration of the NC Pickle Festival's 40th Anniversary, the First Place winner will also receive a year's supply of Mt. Olive pickles! 

This form is for individual registrations only. Details for group registration are provided below.

Check-in opens at 7:30 pm. Run starts at 8:00 pm. Check-in will take place at the University of Mount Olive's George and Annie Dail Kornegay Arena, located on Henderson St, Mt Olive, NC 28365. For the safety and enjoyment of participant's, the 2026 Cuke Patch 5K will take place entirely on the campus of the University of Mount Olive. 

Bring your family and friends to walk or run the route and take advantage of group discounts. Costumes are encouraged! Make it pickle-themed, or celebrate your favorite decade. Glow sticks and/or glow necklaces and bracelets will be available for all participants, otherwise dress to impress: prizes will be awarded for best costumes. This is not a timed event.

While in Mount Olive for the Cuke Patch 5K, enjoy a live outdoor concert featuring Spare Change at nearby R&R Brewing and pay one price carnival rides downtown. For details visit www.ncpicklefest.org.