The World’s Largest Christmas Pickle Gets a Second Chance (And a Surprise Bonus!)

Remember back in 2022 when we told you about the World’s Largest Christmas Pickle? Well, buckle up, because we’re going back—and this time, the story gets even better.

The Backstory: Nobody Knew About The Pickle

Picture It: Fort Smith, 2022 – Zach and I were visiting his parents, and I’d done some research on quirky things to see in the area. (Because of course I did. It’s what I do). I found the World’s Largest Christmas Pickle in Fort Smith, Arkansas, and we were SO excited to tell his parents about our discovery.

Their response? Blank stares.

“…The Christmas what?”

They had no idea what we were talking about. Not only had they never heard of this glorious oversized pickle, but they didn’t even know what a Christmas Pickle tradition was. And this thing lived in the town RIGHT NEXT TO THEM.

Cue the holiday history detour. We ended up explaining the whole Christmas Pickle tradition—the maybe-German, maybe-just-marketing story where the pickle ornament gets hidden in the tree and the kid who finds it gets an extra gift or bragging rights.

They’d never heard of it. So naturally, we planned a family field trip to the pickle.

And when we finally pulled up? The look on their faces seeing a huge green pickle statue standing proudly in front of the building—behind it, a sign that reads “World’s Largest Christmas Pickle”—was absolute holiday gold. We went, we took pics, we all laughed at the absurdity of it all. It was perfect.

Except… those photos got absolutely murdered by over-optimization. Too many plugins doing their thing without me realizing it, and my pickle pics were ruined. I’ve been meaning to fix that ever since.

The Town They Thought They Knew

The real kicker? They live just a few miles away and had never seen it. And then we got to pile on the weird:

“Oh, and did you know the World’s Largest Spinach Can used to be in Alma? We went looking for The World’s Largest Spinach Can (it was painted over) and found Popeye’s Garden instead.”

“Also—right across from it? The Henry D Humphrey Memorial. You know, the deputy who encountered Bonnie & Clyde?”

Spoiler: They had no idea. Living proof that sometimes it takes an out-of-towner with a camera and a Christmas pickle obsession to show you the magic in your own backyard.

Fast Forward to December 2025: Redemption Tour

This year, we’re back at Zach’s parents’ place, and I decided it was time. Time to give the World’s Largest Christmas Pickle the photo justice it deserves.

But here’s the thing—I wasn’t about to drive 30 minutes just to snap a few photos and leave. So I did what any reasonable person would do: I looked up what else was happening in the area.

That’s when I found Winter Wonderland.

It looked amazing, and according to my very sophisticated research (aka scrolling through Google), it was close to the pickle. Perfect! We’d hit the pickle at dusk for golden hour photos, then head to Winter Wonderland, and circle back for nighttime pickle pics.

Solid plan, right?

Plot Twist: They’re THE SAME PLACE

We parked. I spotted the pickle in all its magnificent green glory. And then I checked my GPS one more time.

64 feet away.

I looked at the building that the pickle stands in front of. The building where Winter Wonderland was happening.

THE SAME BUILDING.

I may have squealed. I definitely did a little dance right there in the parking lot. No circling back needed. No getting back in the car. No driving between locations. Everything in one glorious, pickle-adjacent stop. Which meant we could stay inside as long as we wanted and weren’t rushing to get to the next thing!

Remember back in 2022 when we first visited and wondered what that building was even for? Well, NOW WE KNOW.

Inside Winter Wonderland: Christmas Magic Everywhere

For $5 a ticket (kids were $30, which included photos with Santa, Elsa, and Anna), we stepped into what can only be described as Christmas overload in the absolute best way possible.

Room after room of Christmas displays greeted us. Santa was set up in the craft room, taking photos with kids. Little ones were making ornaments at craft tables. Cute displays everywhere we turned.

And then we got to the main room.

The NUTCRACKERS. The sheer SIZE of these nutcrackers absolutely blew me away. This wasn’t some temporary pop-up situation—this was clearly a permanent, year-round setup. We’re talking full-scale, towering nutcrackers alongside Santa, The Grinch, Care Bears, and so much more.

We spotted the Abominable Snowman (Yeti, if we’re being technical), real-life Elsa and Anna working their magic with kids—we didn’t grab photos with them because they were busy creating those special moments, but just seeing them in action was pretty cool.

The entire downstairs was packed with displays, and then there’s this loft upstairs with even MORE booths. From up there, you can look down at the whole scene below, and honestly? That view was magical.

But one of my favorite discoveries? The life-size Barbie boxes where you can pose like you’re a boxed doll. I went with a cute, sweet pose. Zach? Full angry Ken energy. It was perfect.

The Perfect Ending (And a Little Mischief)

When we finished exploring, we headed to the concession stand—because yes, they had cookies and hot cocoa for sale—where we traded in our ticket for a cookie. Those chocolate chip cookies? Fantastic. Warm, gooey, exactly what you want after wandering through a Christmas wonderland.

But before we left, we did something that might be a little evil. We bought a Christmas pickle ornament. And we may have hidden it in Zach’s parents’ tree when we got back.

They still don’t fully understand the Christmas pickle tradition. So now we’re just waiting. Waiting to see how long it takes them to notice there’s a pickle hiding in their tree. My bet? They won’t find it until they take the tree down after Christmas.

Then we headed back outside for those nighttime pickle photos I’d promised myself two years ago.

Mission accomplished. Photos redeemed. And we got an entire bonus experience we weren’t even expecting.

The Takeaway

Sometimes the best travel moments happen when your plans accidentally overlap in the most perfect way possible. We came back to fix some ruined photos, and we left with an entire new memory—and a sneaky ornament prank in progress.

Also, if you’re ever near Fort Smith, Arkansas, during the holidays, do yourself a favor: visit the World’s Largest Christmas Pickle. And check if Winter Wonderland is happening. Trust me on this one.

The pickle’s not going anywhere. But the magic of stumbling onto something unexpected? That’s what makes this whole weird, quirky travel life worth it.