our history

The South Side Soup Contest is an annual fundraising event brought to you by the South Side Chamber of Commerce. Launched in 2005, the Contest began as a way to showcase all that our community has to offer, generate more foot traffic in local businesses, and serve up delicious soup. Today, it has become a celebrated and eagerly-anticipated event. The reason is as simple and satisfying as a cup of soup: we provide a unique opportunity for attendees to sample an array of delicious soups and explore neighborhood businesses, while giving back to South Pittsburgh communities in need.

Since our humble beginnings, The South Side Soup Contest has generated the attention and support of Pittsburghers and visitors alike. Over the last 21 years, we’ve hit major milestones and continue to grow! Take a look at what we’ve accomplished with our friends and neighbors in the South Side, and what it means to eat soup and make history!

milestones to make you smile!

2005: The South Side Soup Contest launches to a crowd of hungry Pittsburghers and visitors, eager to eat great soup and give back to those in need.

2006 – 2009: During the first few years of the Contest, we started with a steady stride. Participation from neighborhood restaurants and businesses nearly doubled, as did the number of canned goods we collected and distributed to our neighbors who needed them the most.
2010: The sixth annual Contest was a banner year. A total of 1,000 tickets sold out. We launched online ticket sales, making it easier than ever for attendees to get their soup on. And we instituted policies and procedures to become a green event.
2012: Our eighth year ushered in more changes for the Contest. We began text voting and launched the “Best Host Award,” to recognize the efforts of our business locations.
2013 and beyond: The milestones and fun facts continue!
- Selling Out in Record Time: 30 seconds
- Highest number of food donations collected: 2,200
- Most snowfall: 2014
- Sunniest, warmest weather: 2016
- Getting it done before COVID: 2020
- The Lost Years: 2021 and 2022
- Soup in the Spring: April 2023
2025: 20 YEARS OF SOUP’IN!
2026: 21 YEARS & STILL STIRRING THINGS UP!

As we approach 21 years of celebrating soup, we remain committed to an event that merges fun, great food, eco-consciousness, and giving back to Pittsburgh communities in need. We hope you can join us this year!

whom we benefit

A ticket to The Contest is about more just an afternoon spent tasting soups. Attendees join their community in a day of fun, friendship and goodwill. They discover hidden gems in one of Pittsburgh’s most storied neighborhoods. They see the South Side in a different light. They meet new people. And they support community via the South Side Chamber of Commerce. Tickets help to provide food and other commodities to low-income individuals and families, while also supporting the Chamber’s mission to build a better South Side for those who live, work, and enjoy the neighborhood. More great reasons to get SOUP’IN!

The South Side Soup Contest occurs each year in Pittsburgh's South Side Flats to showcase the restaurants on and around Carson Street and benefits the Brashear Association and South Side Chamber of Commerce

A ticket to The Contest is more than just an afternoon spent tasting soups. Attendees join their community for a day of fun, friendship and goodwill. They discover hidden gems in one of Pittsburgh’s most storied neighborhoods. They see the South Side in a different light. They meet new people. And they support the South Side Chamber of Commerce and their work with South Side community organizations. Proceeds from the event support the Chamber’s mission to build a better South Side for those who live, work, and enjoy the neighborhood, and help to provide food and other commodities to low-income individuals and families in South Pittsburgh.

More great reasons to get SOUP’IN!

who we are

The South Side Soup Contest is brought to you by the South Side Chamber of Commerce.

south side chamber of commerce

The mission of the South Side Chamber of Commerce is to provide effective community leadership in the promotion of economic development for our diverse South Side economy. The chamber advocates for our members in both community and government policy working effectively with our elected representatives and civic leaders.

These issues are leading this year's Chamber agenda:

Promotion of a strong South Side brand that enhances business opportunities.
Attraction and retention of South Side businesses.
Support of the South Side by collaborating with other South Side community organizations.
Sustainability of a safe and clean environment for businesses, their customers, and our residents.

For more information about the South Side Chamber of Commerce, please visit southsidechamber.org.

we're green!

We believe that a successful, food-centric event is a green event — one that makes a conscious effort to leave a minimal footprint on the environment and support the resilience of our community. Attendees can be assured that The Contest is environmentally friendly, thanks to our green initiative led by more than 100 Soup Contest volunteers under the guidance of the South Side Chamber of Commerce’s Events Committee. Our green initiative is dedicated to responsible on-site event waste management, and here’s how we do it at the Contest.

COMMITMENT

Each year, we plan and execute the Contest with a shared commitment to the environment. We want our attendees to eat soup and go green!

pledge
From start to finish, our event is built around environmentally-sustainable practices, which can be seen long after the last spoonful of soup has been enjoyed.

partners
Each participating restaurant and host location share our belief in the importance of hosting an environmentally-sound event, and pledge to do their part to keep it green.

products
Our commitment is seen in the products we use, from compostable soup cups and utensils to recyclable event maps and signage.

Communication

Going green is a message we convey with pride. We educate our partners and attendees through a mix of platforms including social media, signs, and images. We also train our volunteer staff to answer questions, so that attendees are in the know when it comes to composting and going green.

After every cup of soup has been tasted, votes have been cast, and a happy crowd returns, our commitment to going green continues as we work to divert as much waste as we can from going into the landfill.