TEXARKANA, Ark. - Texarkana opened the gates to its first Pickle Fest on Saturday.

Despite an official count, organizers Doug and Monica Beeman estimated about 15,000 pickle lovers graced Front Street Plaza to see what the "big dill" was.

The fest offered guests pickled okra, pickled hot sauce, and just about everything else pickled.

"My daughter lives in Corpus Christi and she had called me back in March and said she was at a Pickle Festival and I thought, 'Texarkana needs a Pickle Festival,'" said Mrs. Beeman.

"So, I researched it and looked it up and they are highly attended events; so that's when I decided it's time for Texarkana to have one. So that's how it has come about, and it's been six months of planning, morning, noon and night for six months straight."

The pickle fest was

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