A ranch fountain giveaway, donuts at Pigeon Bagels, and more Pittsburgh food news

Pigeon Bagels
5613 Hobart St., Squirrel Hill. pigeonbagels.com

Pigeon claims in an Instagram post that the vegan donuts they recently released were a big hit with patrons, selling out quickly and becoming a fan favorite. As a result, Pigeon recently announced that beginning on Wed., March 13, the bakery will unveil a monthly donut selection. Beginning this month and continuing the second Wednesday of each month moving forward, customers can purchase vegan donuts. The March donut of the month will be lemon blueberry flavored, with a rotating list of flavors promised for each proceeding donut drop.

Eat'n Park
Multiple locations. eatnpark.com

Eat'n Park will celebrate National Ranch Day (Wed., March 13) with a massive ranch giveaway on their Instagram page. The giveaway includes a flowing ranch fountain, gift cards, and “dippers” for Pittsburgh’s favorite condiment. Ranch fans are encouraged to tag friends, post about their favorite things to dip in ranch, and regale other fans with their best ranch stories. The winner will be announced on Wednesday, on Instagram, and the winner will receive a DM directly from the “place for smiles.”

McArdle’s Pub
1600 Bingham St., South Side.

After 85 years in operation, McArdle’s Pub in South Side will close. The restaurant will host its official last day of service on Sun., March 17, St. Patrick’s Day. However, the bar will remain open during select hours (as noted on their Facebook page) for cash-only service. A recent statement from McArdle’s reads, “We have loved serving the community, making memories, and being a place where ‘everybody knows your name.’ If you are from Pittsburgh - more than likely you have come across our pub and left with a memory.”

The Bloomfield Development Corp. x Trace Brewing
4312 Main St., Bloomfield. bloomfieldpgh.org

On Thu., March 21 from 5-7 p.m., The Bloomfield Development Corp. will kick off its inaugural Pittsburgh Little Italy’s March Madness Festival at Trace Brewing.
Featuring pizza from neighborhood favorites, Angelo’s Pizza, Pizza Italia, Fazio’s Pizza, Alex’s Corner Pizza Shop, and G’s on Liberty, Bloomfield Development hopes to raise funds for ongoing projects in Bloomfield while supporting the local pizza shops. Tickets cost $20 each and are available through Tue., March 19.

Ya Jagoff! x The Block Northway
8013 McKnight Rd., Ross Township. YaJagoff.com

Is strawberry Jell-O pretzel salad a Pittsburgh picnic staple? The characters over at Ya Jagoff! Media think so! The local podcast will, on April 21 from 1-3 p.m., host the SJPS Festival at The Block Northway. During the event, local confectionaries such as Cookie Cookie Ice Cream return to see who can make the best pretzel salad and raise money for a nonprofit of their choice. Tasting is free to the public, and participants are invited to vote for their favorite SJPS-inspired desserts. Meanwhile,  on-air talent from Q92.9 will judge the best SJPS desserts and offer a cash prize benefiting local nonprofits.

Dessert Wars x David L. Lawrence Convention Center
1000 Fort Duquesne Blvd., Downtown. dessert-wars.com

War, what is it good for? Nothing, unless it involves desserts. Dessert Wars, touted as the largest desert festival in America, announced plans to take over the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. According to their website, Dessert Wars features vendors vying for the title of Dessert Champion and promises a wide range of treats, from cupcakes and cookies to ice cream and more. Tickets for the April 27 event are now available for purchase and include VIP entry.