The first-ever Colorado Pizza Festival comes to Longmont this September, bringing together more than 23 pizzamakers from across the Front Range, headlined by 13-time World Pizza Champion Tony Gemignani.
The festival runs from 1-10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 5, at 4th and Kimbark in Longmont, with streets closed for the event.
Gemignani will meet fans at his Slice House by Tony Gemignani festival booth from noon-5 p.m., where he’ll be cooking pizza, hosting meet and greets and supporting his fellow Front Range pizzamakers. Fans also can grab an exclusive Slice House festival offer: Buy one pizza, get a second free.
“Respect the craft” is Gemignani’s motto, and it’s one he brings to every stop, including his newest one. Gemignani’s appearance in Longmont comes just before the newest Slice House location opens, operated by locals Mike Tingus and Dean Crescenzi of Tingus Restaurant Group.
Slice House by Tony Gemignani in Longmont opens at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 12, at 725 Harvest Moon Drive. The grand opening includes a chance to win free pizza every week for a year. The first 50 guests through the doors will receive a cap and an entry into the giveaway.
Guests can also enter a pizza box art contest by collecting a blank pizza box at the Longmont location and returning it with their original artwork. The contest runs in two age divisions, one for guests 12 and younger and another for guests 13 and older. Winners will see their artwork displayed in the Longmont Slice House and will receive free pizza every week for a year.
The festival benefits Pizza With Purpose, a nonprofit supporting Slice Out Hunger, Longmont Food Rescue, Community Food Share and Colorado Friendship, all working to end food insecurity on the Front Range.
Slice House by Tony Gemignani operates two Colorado locations through Tingus Restaurant Group, in Longmont at 725 Harvest Moon Drive and in Loveland at 1385 Sculptor Drive. The menu features four styles of pizza, including Grandma, Sicilian, New York and Detroit, alongside pastas, shareables, salads, dessert, beer and wine.
Pizza fans can also take advantage of two current specials in Longmont and Loveland. The “Twice the Slice” lunch special runs Monday through Wednesday from 11 a.m.-3 p.m., dine-in only, through Wednesday, Sept. 30. For $12.99, a savings of nearly 50 percent, guests get a buy-one-slice-get-one-slice-free deal with a side Caesar salad and fountain drink. The Back-to-School Dinner, available online and in-store now for $49, includes a 20-inch New York-style pizza with a choice of cheese, pepperoni or veggie toppings, three handcrafted meatballs, eight wings of any style and a Caesar salad.
Event details
- What: Colorado Pizza Festival
- When: 1-10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 5
- Where: 4th and Kimbark, Longmont
