The festival was fun, two day event over the weekend. I was told that Saturday sold out and I went on Sunday around noon. It was located at Margaret T Hance Park. Parking seemed to be where ever nearby. I got lucky and parked at the park entrance. When I got to the entrance you were told to purchase tickets online if you had an already $16, plus taxes made about 20 bucks. Security and all vendors were very nice. Make sure to bring cash for drink, tickets and some vendors. Some vendors accepted only cash and cashapp. All others took card. There were different bands and a schedule that was on the website for the event. Lots of families had blankets to enjoy the pizza and crowd. There were games, vendors selling clothes, a psychic reading, and even two ice cream trucks. I think everyone could enjoy the chill vibes, the pizza, and great way that the bands engaged with the audience. The cost for the different trucks was disappointing. I think all vendors should sell slices for the same cost, $5 per slice to make the cash amount consistent. Some vendors were only selling whole pies and you wouldn't know if it didn't look like you were cutting the line to see the menu. There was a great variety, but some didn't put in much effort. I got frozen type pizza (super greasy) , margarita styles, and Woodfire. My favorite was Copper State Pizza Truck! Overall, I enjoyed myself will be back next year. read more

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I feel bad for those pizza companies who spend hours preparing for an even like this just to have customers frustrated that the entire event probably partially sponsored by Sedona water was the only water available at the entire event. Not even free tap water as we were forced to dump ours prior to entry. This review is not reflective of the pizza but the event itself. Pizza is a delicious family food that is usually relatively inexpensive but coupled with a $4 water in the Arizona sun does not help you enjoy your time. And keep in mind the food venders we're forced to buy the Sedona water @$50 a case and sell it at a set price. Just frustrating. Good news though is those slinging pizza helped make the day still a good time. Won't do it again unless they figure out better water options read more

Phoenix Pizza Festival - My Daddy's Italian bakery and cafe Birthday girl and her dad - Pizza Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

I've been to my fair share of food festivals, but this was not my favorite. It felt poorly planned, like they sold way too many tickets and weren't equipped for this many people. The lines were crazy long, moved really slow, and there was very little shade. We got pizza from a few different places, but my absolute favorite was the pizza muffins form Floridinos. We heard it was less busy in the last hour and a half, and there was still a good amount of pizza left. If we went again another year we'd have to go late! read more

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Ugh, I was worried it was going to be like this. Line after line, even after spending $15 on an entrance ticket via Eventbrite. Tips: Arrive as soon as the doors open at 11am. Bring cash. Yes, they have ATM's but it is yet one more line. (When will America join the rest of the world with QR code payments? PayPal already offers!). Focus on the vendors on the outskirts of the event and not in the center. If you want beer, go to PedalHaus as they have draft beer. The others only have canned. We tried DoughRider. The wood fired ovens smelled nice but the ridiculously small two "slices" we got for $6 was a joke. It tastes like a Tony's frozen pizza seriously. The hidden gem was Super Farm Food Truck (look for a bright pink food truck). They have pizza quesadillas that are DELICIOUS. We loved every bite and they were so nice! All in all, the vendors were friendly, the live band was decent, but I expect better execution when spending money on an entrance ticket. Honestly, this is more for families who are looking to picnic for the day, not for people who want to try lots of pizza and drinks. read more

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It was okay, but the experience my friends and family had with the lemonade stand by the entrance made it clear we're not coming back again. If you go next year, just know, though they advertise that when you a buy a $7 lemonade you can get a $2 refill, that it's not true. My family and I bought some and when we went back for refills, they said they couldn't give any because they were low on Lemonade. I then saw them sell Lemonade to people behind me. I confronted this 18 year old guy behind the counter about it and he literally gave me a stare and taunted like he would fight me over it. Because of the $2 refill issue, 8 of my friends and family are never returning to the festival again. On another note, know that your buying a ticket for access to over priced $5 small slices of pizza. read more

First time coming to the pizza Festival it's kind of what I expected lots of people long lines and overpriced food start off with big red truck had their veggie slice it was like 3 something cuz they charge tax only person that charge tax there which is really annoying crust head no flavor cheese and no flavor it was okay 2nd and was nicastto I got the personal 8 in margarita it was pretty good I think it was like 12 bucks 8 inch pie definitely not worth the money but was probably the best one I had there lemonade it was gross Country Time expect third one I had was called crazy good Italian eat took one bite of their cheese slice and threw it in the trash not sure what kind of cheese there were using but it was Sour lastly I had floridinos pizza muffins they were pretty good but not $5 good I had okay time but could have had a great pizza for that money read more

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I will be skipping this moving forward. It was poorly planned and executed. I'm not sure what the $15 cover charge was for. I've attended many Hance Park festivals that are free or for a nominal fee and they had the same amenities and entertainment. There wasn't any rhyme or reason to the layout. There was no consistency with the payment methods expected by the Event and Vendors. I was with great company so we had fun but money would have better spent at a local pizza place. read more

This festival looked like a blast online. Was so excited to get in and sample all of the pizza vendors. Sadly, you will spend 20-40 minutes in line for each vendor. Slices are priced around $5, which I would be fine with if I didn't already pay around $25 just to get into the festival. If you don't like lines, I would say just grab your friends or family and head to your favorite local pizza parlor. You'll save money and have a better time. read more

It was very disappointing. Extremely long lines and way overpriced pizza. If they had more pizza vendors the lines wouldn't have been so long. Waiting on line for 35 minutes just to get into the door then another 45 minutes waiting on line for each pizza vendor, just wasn't worth it. It's just not possible to try more than 2-3 different places unless you want to wait in lines for most of the day. $15 each just to get inside. $20 for a large pie that was more like a medium. I also didn't see any individual slice options that were less than $4 per slice. We definitely won't be going back. I gave it 1 star because the bands were fun and not overly load so you are able to sit towards the back of the grass and talk while you hung out and talked. Side note: Definitely don't bother bringing the kids. There is literally nothing for them to do there. It's not a kid friendly event especially with so many very large dogs. The description on the event says, dogs under 25lbs. are allowed but there were definitely a lot of larger dogs weighing well over 50lbs. It's also not pleasant to have several large dogs walk past one by one while you're sitting on the grass trying to eat your pizza. I will say that all the dog owners were very respectful and they all had their big dogs firmly held on a tight leash which was very considerate. read more

What a huge disappointment. Everything is over priced. Terrible choices of beer. We spent more time waiting in line than anything else. Out of all the pizza that was offered only one place had great lobster pizza. The crust was not soggy like all the others and the topping had such a flavor. Unfortunately they don't have a restaurant and now I can't remember the name of the pizza maker. Sorry about that. The bands that we heard were awful. To find a parking spot is the worst. We ended up at a parking garage for $5. If you decide to try this festival don't expect much. But bring plenty of cash to purchase pizza slices, anywhere from $3 to $4. Beer and wine tickets, yes you have to wait in a long long line for just the tickets, and they are $7 a ticket. Won't be returning or even recommending this festival. read more

One of the worst experiences I've had while visiting a city. Absolutely do not recommend this event. No shade/seating for being outside in 90 degree weather, incredibly long lines, limited options. Still can't believe still we paid 15$ per person to attend this. read more

This festival was the worst thing ever. Terrible event organization and staff. if you can get a ticket, be prepared for long lines, unimpressive food, ticket/cash/debit/cash app confusion, standing around in the sun, no shade... no way would I ever recommend someone go to this. read more

Got to try a zillion pizza places in one day, then collapse in a beer pizza coma for the entire afternoon. Went early and avoided lines, even got some free pie. Good music, good people. Just a bit crowded at times. Its a festival, so that's how it goes. Some of these pizza joints need to learn the Henry Ford method of assembly line production because even with no line we waited up to ten minutes for something that was already made. Passing the order and receipt to four people to produce a small square of pizza seems like overkill, just saying. read more

Phoenix Pizza Festival - Pizza lines. Lines. Lines - Pizza Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Great weather, good location and good time of year to have a festival. It was a bit unorganized at first, not enough communication with ticket sellers and some inconsistencies among prices and offerings by vendors causing a perceived quality and value disparity with the pizza samples, slices and whole pies. The lines were long shortly after opening at this sold out event, but that was to be expected with a popular food such as pizza. There was some great pizza, some not so great, so some was fresh and tasty, some was piping hot, some was cold and old. It would be nice to have more places to sit and enjoy the band or the company of friends and libations while eating pizza, sipping beer and wine and having ice cream or shaved ice. However, there were many happy faces, and the outdoor games were a nice touch. The festival had a good mix of vendors and it was not too bad for an inaugural event. Next year the kinks should be worked out and vendors will be better prepared. Overall a job well done, looking forward to next year. read more

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This was my first year going and overall I was very satisfied. It seems like festivals are hit or miss. This one was a good time. The lines were manageable. I've been to many festivals where the lines are unbearable. Here, the longest I waited was probably about 10 minutes. The pizza vendors were all very good with reasonable prices. Most slices were $3-4. OHSO brewery had a tent near the front. Their beer is very good however by late in the afternoon they'd run out of two of their beers. There were a few more beer vendors but I only visited OHSO. The music was good and not too loud such that you couldn't hold a conversation. Transportation wasn't too bad. I took the train to the Roosevelt St. station but there was also plenty of street parking. The only downside was that there wasn't much shade where the tables and band were. Be sure to take sunglasses and sunscreen. read more

We arrived shortly after 11 when it opened and were able to walk right up to many of the vendors and order! The lines were very short, if any, in the beginning. We knew that wouldn't last long since the event was sold out. About 99%of the vendors served Neapolitan style pizza. Some had very different toppings but it would be nice to see different styles of pizza in the future. The best was the dolce diavo from La Piazza Al Forno! It had San Marzano tomatoes, House Made Mozzarella , Sopressata , Calabrian Chiles, Basil and Honey I'll attend this event again in the future, but I'll make sure to get there early again! read more

Phoenix Pizza Festival - Goat cheese, artichoke & roasted tomato pizza! - Pizza Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Disappointing. Parking was poor to non existent. Huge lines for pizza & beer. Then they ran out of beer, all 4 or 5 vendors. Most had only 2-3 beers on tap in the first place, but they were soon down to one or none. There were about 20 pizza vendors, selling tiny slices for $3. Did I mention the long lines? Then they ran out of pizza. They need twice the number of food & drinks vendors. When I left they were still letting people in and selling drink tickets , despite the fact there was little or nothing to be had. This is a total rip off, the organizers sold tickets in advance so there is no excuse that they were blindsided by the attendance. This "event" should be shut down until they get better organized. These people literally could not organize a p&@"- up in a brewery. read more

The idea of a pizza festival was great but the execution wasn't done well. It cost $26 to get in and then it was advertised that there would be $2-$4 slices from each vendor. This wasn't the case as many venders were instead selling whole pizzas only for $10-$15. Since you pay to get in you'd think the price would be as advertised inside. Also, voting for the best pizza place would be a fun twist! read more

Phoenix Pizza Festival - Pizza Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

As a New Yorker, I wasn't expecting much, but man was I underwhelmed. You pay $10 (plus $2 service charge if you booked online) just to get into the damn place (oh and that's after you wait in a 20-30 minute line to get in). After that, your day will consist of waiting in ridiculously long lines to get tiny slices of pizza priced at $2 or $4. Rinse and repeat. They do also have alcohol available for purchase (unsure of the price but I'd guess $8-10) a glass. Oh and don't even try bringing in your own water. Security will stop you (unless you're sneaky and hide it like we did). It's not like this takes place on a sunny day in a desert or anything... When you finally do get your pizza (we waited in our line for at least 45 min), it's so sub optimal. Sure they have somewhat exotic combinations but at that rate I would have rather just gone to Pizza Hut! I wouldn't recommend checking this out next year. read more

I was so exited to go to this festival, that I bought all eleven tickets online, (big mistake) I paid $148, including service charge and taxes. I was still hopeful that the experience was going to be worth it, I took the whole family. When we got there, we were all excited, we LOVE PIZZA! First pizza stop was the Bored pizza or something like that, we ordered a pepperoni and carne asada pizza, the pizza was good, however (that's when I noticed that this experience was going to be very expensive) remember I had a party of eleven. The slice was $3 and the pie was $12, the Carne Asada was $14, when we got our pizza we were VERY DISAPPOINTED, are you kidding me!!!!! It was the size of a personal pizza if that and the slices were tiny. For $12 -$14 bucks!! I felt that they were taking advantage of the people that came to have a good time and experience good pizza. The majority of the vendors were selling the same size of pizza. Ridiculously taking advantage of the people with those small pizzas. We did find a vendor that his pizza was a normal large size for $26, very good, Quattro Pazzi. Beer was good, beer tickets were $6, OHSO had very good beer, I loved there Dynamite Boom beer, awesome! I believe that this festival should not be charging to go in, pass the cost to the vendors, the whole experience very expensive. I do not recommend this festival!!!! VERY EXPENSIVE!!!! You're better off going to Barros pizza or Giordano's, way less expensive...... Try the food truck festival, in the city of Goodyear, and FREE ENTRY!!!!! read more

Second year of the pizza fest means the second year I've joined in. There's some noticeable improvements this time around, though with some room for tinkering. This year the number of pizza vendors grew from 12 to 16. I will still say few of the truly elite pizza makers were here, but honestly I've changed my tune on this a little. You can always find the most successful pizza makers at one (or more) of their brick and mortar locations around town. Whereas the caterers and food trucks are often working their heart out to win you over in a heavily saturated market. So this year I steered clear of the big names at this festival that everyone knows and loves (Spinato's, Rosati's, Z Pizza, & La Piazza to name a few) and instead opted to use what room I had in my stomach for the little guys. The caterers and food truck operators who are cranking out their own best pies. I think if you attend the Pizza Festival at some point down the road, you'll agree that many of these small outfits can put out a great product that can stand up to the titans of the industry. Most the of pizza vendors this year were selling slices for $3 or $4 each. Most were also selling whole pies for anywhere from $12 to $20. There were a few vendors who didn't offer slices, which is annoying. I still feel like Epic (the company that puts on this event) is missing the boat here by not just having patrons buy tickets for slices instead of making everyone scramble for change in their pockets as is the case now. In addition to pizza, a number of local breweries were dishing out suds, a number of dessert vendors were also on hand, and there was plenty of chairs and tables to sit down and enjoy pizza with your friends and family (probably the biggest improvement from last year). I liked Civic Space Park as a venue last year as it has a lot of character and is steps from the rail. Moving it to Hance Park this year was probably a necessary move to accommodate the growing number of vendors and to allow more folks to partake. They still cap the event (both this year and last year sold out 48 hours in advance) so keep in mind you'll want to get your tix in advance. Also as with last year there's a game area with cornhole toss, life size connect four, and other shenanigans. Hance Park also sets up as a nice natural amphitheater for the main music stage where music is playing at the Festival from start to finish. So here's my biggest words of advice if you're coming next time around: 1) Buy your tix at least a few days in advance (try a week in advance if possible just to be safe), 2) Bring only cash as few (if any) of the vendors take cards or have a Square system, 3) Bring $20 in cash minimum as that will get you a drink and about 4-5 slices (or in my case no drinks and 6 slices), 4) Park at the Library or along Portland Street as you should have plenty of space in both areas to do so, and 5) wear sunscreen as there are few shaded areas & the weather has been sunny and in the upper 70s both years I've been. So if you love pizza and want to discover some new pizza creations (or do the opposite of me and grab a few slices of reliable standbys) the Phoenix Pizza Festival is a popular event that is growing by the year. Down the road I hope they incorporate some pizza competitions as well as more vendor options to make the event that much better. And hopefully Epic is able to fine tune their organization of this event with each passing year. Here's to pizza! read more

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My rating is mainly based on the lack of organization with the event. Understanding that this was the first Pizza Festival, from what I understand, it wasn't the first food event put on by the promoter. The venue was perfect (nice park) in downtown Phoenix. Assuming that we'd have plenty of pizza, wine and other spirits, we caught a Lyft from Chandler to the event (excellent choice on my behalf). The advertisement for the event read that there would be slices for $3-$4 each. Not so. I don't think one vendor had a bottle of water for that price let alone a slice of pizza. Some of the vendors were so popular that they either sold out 2 hours prior to shut down or the line was so long that one instantly caught the 'hangry' attitude (you wouldn't want to be around me at that time). Outside of the incorrectly advertised prices, the absurd lines and the running out of product, I'd say that the event was a acceptable.Should they put it on again, I'd definitely attend. Call it my insane love for the pie!!!! read more

We were so excited to attend this event for the first time. Horrible experience- music was heavy metal- super loud screaming. 16 port-a-potties for the entire event so really long lines, and only clumped in the corner of 1 area for the whole park. Beer & wine on separate side of the park- and only in 1 area. We wanted to go to sample from different vendors that we haven't tried before but many were only selling whole pizzas, not by the slice. About 10 tables for the whole event so we alternated eating and holding each others stuff- very annoying. We only sampled from 2 vendors and ended up leaving early. There was an EXIT sign on a fence nearby so as we go to leave, we are told that exit is only for vendors. But was not labeled vendor exit, so we had to go to the other side of the park to exit. Horribly planned. read more

Not a good festival. First you wait in long lines to get in(like I was at Disneyland) I went at 11:30, it opened at 11. You get inside and more lines to stand in......They could of at least put up alot of big umbrella's so we could at least sit out of the sun. I did find one but sun was not shaded as it was in the weird direction so only 1/4 side shaded. Alot of people complaining. Music good. Only found 1 pizza good out of 6, which for $4 a slice, that's another $24 plus admission in $15. Glad I chose the slices as alot of places did not taste good. The brilla taco's were excellent but I didn't come for mexican food, but at least I know I loved these. It was too hot to stand in a line directly in the sun. I think they sold too many tickets in my opinion. At least I tried it but will not be going back next year. read more

Awful- not enough venders so the lines are incredibly long, people letting dogs poop everywhere, no shade, and the venders that were present were incredibly rude. Was this organized the weekend before? read more

As stated in other reviews, this festival was disappointing. 1 - Lines were outrageous; we were forced to wait in line for one hour apiece for two different trucks -- and these weren't the only vendors with insanely long lines. By the end of our stay, the festival had gotten even more crowded, and most lines were looking to be at least 30 minutes long. 2 - No (free) water available -- if you're having a festival in Phoenix, you should have water freely available. It's cheap and unnecessary not to provide the basics. I'm pretty sure people will still buy lemonade and beer even if you let them have water. 3 - This is minor compared to the above, but the music provided was lacking and seemed to have a lot of audio issues. This is unacceptable for a pre-ticketed event, especially one in which the admittance cost is not cheap. The price should have some sort of benefit. Access to a ~dozen pizza trucks that have insanely long lines with little other infrastructure is not enough to justify entrance. Honestly, if you're going to keep it this size, you should either limit the number of people who come into the event or get more vendors. For those who run this festival, there's good potential, but you need to actually make admission worthwhile. If things don't change, I would highly recommend against going to this festival. read more

Great variety of awesome pizza! LONG LINES huge downside. Also, NO sensitivity to allergies, so people with peanut, capsaicin, onion sensitivity are strictly Eat At Own Risk. IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT SPICY YOU WILL BE STUCK WITH WHITE SAUCE ONLY. Cool attitude and pet friendly help balance it out. read more

The pizza was fantastic! However, one of the better vendors is from Tucson so that's a bummer we won't be able to find them locally. But I'm not sure what my $10 ticket paid for. I've been to other festivals around the valley that have free entry and then you pay for food. But for this, you pay $10 and you still have to pay for food on top of that. I also wish the slices had been bigger. Most slices were $3-$4 but were quite small. This was fun and delicious, but if I'm paying $10 to enter an event, I feel there needs to be more to offer so I get my $10 worth. read more