Colorado Pizza Festival rocked by overwhelming turnout
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Workers prepare pizzas for the Colorado Pizza Festival. Photo: NIck Swanson/Urban Field
Longmont's first-ever Colorado Pizza Festival may have bit off more than it could chew.
Why it matters: Organizers sold 7,000 tickets and raised thousands for charity, but they'll have to address crowd management and slice complaints before the festival returns in 2027.
Driving the news: Organizers planned for about 6,000 attendees, but didn't expect 4,000 people waiting when the festival opened.
- Lines at the three entrances stretched for blocks, with some attendees reporting waits of up to 40 minutes just to get in.
- Inside, festivalgoers encountered more queues at booths, while others complained about stingy slices and limited access to water despite temperatures in the 90s.
Yes, but: Boulder County DA Michael Dougherty told us "the pizza was great despite the lines."
Axios' Alayna Alvarez's thought bubble: After more than 20 minutes baking in the blazing sun just to get in, lines snaked from nearly every booth — and the slices awaiting those who stuck it out appeared pretty skimpy.
- Leaving empty-handed was a bigger bummer after trekking from Denver with my 7-month-old.
- But I felt even worse for those who shelled out $50 for an all-you-can-eat "golden ticket."
What they're saying: Organizers acknowledged some first-year fumbles and promised future changes.
- "It was an awesome event with many learnings for next year," organizers told Axios in a statement.
- In a separate statement, they said they'd seen the criticism and are "committed to crowd management solutions" at future festivals.
The big picture: The event was created as a fundraiser by Pizza With Purpose, a collaboration among Longmont's Urban Field Pizza, Rosalee's Pizzeria and Antonio's NY Style Pizza.
- Organizers said the festival raised $60,000, which will be split evenly between Slice Out Hunger, Longmont Food Rescue, Community Food Share and Colorado Friendship.
What's next: The pizza party gets another shot next year.
- If organizers can tame the crowds, the festival could further cement Longmont's claim as Colorado's pizza capital.
Editor's note: This article has been updated to reflect that festival organizers planned for 6,000 attendees (not 3,000).