At 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 5, the gates opened for the first Colorado Pizza Festival at Fourth Avenue and Kimbark Street, and about 4,000 people were already waiting. Organizers had planned to process 7,000 people over the whole day. "What we weren't prepared for was for 4,000 people to be waiting at the gate at 1 p.m. when we first opened," co-organizer Nick Swanson told BizWest. Some of those people waited more than an hour in 95-degree heat. The line went all the way around the Longmont library.
The festival was not run by an event company. It came from three pizzerias that compete for the same customers on the same street. Those shops worked together to build something bigger than any of them, and in its first year it outgrew the downtown blocks where it started.
Rivals on One Street, Partners in One Nonprofit
Paul Nashak and Nick Swanson, co-founders of Urban Field Pizza & Market, launched Pizza With Purpose with Rosalee's Pizzeria and Antonio's Real New York Pizza. The goal was to raise money for hunger relief after government support for food-insecure families was cut. BizWest describes the group as a Longmont-based 501(c)(6) nonprofit. According to Swanson, the downtown owners spent about a year discussing how to help vulnerable people in town, and they decided "to throw one hell of a pizza party."
The three founding shops are within a few blocks of each other, and each has its own style:
| Pizzeria | Address | What it's known for |
|---|---|---|
| Urban Field Pizza & Market | 150 Main St. | Chef-driven Detroit- and New York-inspired pies, locally sourced ingredients |
| Antonio's Real New York Pizza | 325 Main St. | Sicilian, Grandma and classic thin crust, plus Detroit, Neapolitan and Chicago styles |
| Rosalee's Pizzeria | 461 Main St. | East Coast-style pizzas, lunch slices, house-made specialties |
The nonprofit launched on National Pizza Day, Feb. 9. From Feb. 9 through Feb. 15, the participating restaurants gave $1 from every cheese or pepperoni pizza sold to Slice Out Hunger, a national group that works with pizzerias to fight food insecurity. The festival was planned from the start as the group's main event.
The Chefs Competing on a National Stage
Two of the festival's founding chefs also compete nationally. In March, the Times-Call previewed two downtown chefs heading to the International Pizza Expo. Swanson entered Urban Field's Detroit-style pizza in the Pan Division, which had 70 competitors. Anthony DeSousa of Antonio's entered World's Best Cheese Slice, which had 110. DeSousa's best Expo finish so far was second place in Cheese Slice in 2024. At the 2025 Expo, Swanson placed fifth in Detroit-style and seventh in pan-style.
On Sept. 5, 24 Colorado pizzerias joined them on Kimbark Street. According to BizWest, one reason they came was the chance to put their food in front of thousands of potential new customers.
What a Sold-Out First Year Produced
General admission was $15, with slices sold separately. A $50 ticket included unlimited samples from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. About 7,000 tickets were sold in total. Counting children under 12, who did not need tickets, plus sponsors and vendors, Swanson estimates about 9,000 people attended.
After costs, the festival gave all of its remaining proceeds, about $60,000, to four hunger-relief groups. Each received $15,000:
- Longmont Food Rescue
- Community Food Share
- Colorado FriendShip
- Slice Out Hunger
Organizers told the Longmont Leader that Colorado FriendShip called the donation the largest single gift it has ever received, enough to cover a full year of meals for the people it serves.
The day also had a home-cook side. Tony Gemignani, a well-known competitive pizza maker who runs the annual Pizza, Bagel & Beer Festival in San Francisco, judged the amateur contest. Rick Wildt won the 14-person cookoff, and Swanson has talked about adding more contestants next year and possibly separate contests for regional styles.
One of the busiest booths came from far away. Swanson named Lina's of Granby as one of the most crowded pizzerias there, "out of all the big names that attended." Kimberlee McKee, executive director of the Longmont Downtown Development Authority, said city leaders "have wanted to have a food festival in the community for a long time."
Why the Four Blocks Won't Work Again
Swanson listed the problems plainly. People waited at security to get in, then waited again at the pizza stands. There weren't enough signs, so visitors couldn't easily find specific pizzerias, water or restrooms. The Leader reported that lines for different vendors ran into each other, and attendees posted complaints online about limited shade and seating.
Some of these problems are easy to fix. The size of the site is harder, and it shapes what the festival can become:
"So if this is going to turn into something where we're going to have 10,000, 15,000 people show up, we can't have it on that footprint. It just won't fit that number of people comfortably and make it an enjoyable experience."
McKee agreed that planning for a much bigger crowd matters. The festival's website says it will return in 2027. These are the changes organizers have mentioned so far. None has been decided:
- Timed entry, so people don't wait an hour to get in and then another 30 minutes for their first slice.
- Much better signs showing where to find drinks, kids' games and each pizzeria.
- A later date, possibly a few weeks into fall. Swanson pointed out that early October can bring snow or 40-degree weather, which makes it hard to keep outdoor ovens hot.
- A new site. Organizers plan to talk with city officials about which spaces might be available, with the goal of keeping the festival in Longmont. Commenters online suggested the Boulder County Fairgrounds and Roosevelt Park.
- More pizzerias. Swanson wants at least 30, up from this year's 24.
Serious planning starts after the new year, when Swanson says the team will work through timelines and venues.
The Everyday Version Is Spreading Past Main Street
Until next September, Longmont's pizza is available at shops across town, and several of them are new or recently moved.
- Slice House by Tony Gemignani, 725 Harvest Moon Drive, near Harvest Junction. The judge of this year's amateur contest now has a Longmont location to go with the ones in Boulder and Loveland. His team served a hot honey pizza and a grandma-style pie at the festival. Visit Longmont listed the grand opening for Oct. 3. As of Oct. 5, the shop's own page shows it open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day, with dine-in, takeout, delivery and catering.
- Mama Mead's Pizzeria, 315 S. Bowen St., inside American Legion Post 32. Owners Carol Sandoval and Laura Baker moved the restaurant there in summer 2025, and it opened at the new location on Aug. 15.
- Niwot Pizza, 950 Elgin Ave., Suite B. This owner-operated shop moved from Niwot to Longmont in 2025. Its own site lists the current Elgin Avenue address.
Gemignani sees this spread as part of what makes the state's pizza worth noticing. "I think Colorado has a great pizza scene," he told the Times-Call. "It's not just Denver; you see Longmont, you see Boulder, you see Loveland." Swanson goes further. He said people knew Longmont "as a cow town for so many years," and that the town has since become "something pretty special that's honestly infectious and you want to be a part of it." Organizers say the turnout backs up a claim local pizza fans have made for a few years: Longmont is becoming Colorado's pizza capital.
Until the 2027 venue and date are announced, the easiest way to sample the scene is to order a Detroit-style pie at 150 Main St., a Sicilian slice at 325 Main St. and an East Coast pie at 461 Main St.
I'm Jane Kraemer, and I'm a Longmont native, so I follow these local stories closely, from new openings on Harvest Moon Drive to wherever the festival lands next year. If you're thinking about a move and want a home close to the spots you already love, let's talk over a slice. Schedule Your Free Market Consultation.
