I noticed we by no means did a writeup of our Indy Pizza Fest expertise from August 9, 2025. As large pizza followers, we purchased the dearer VIP tickets in March proper once they went on sale. We had been (and nonetheless are) true believers. We had been hyped to strive some locations we have by no means been to earlier than, and it regarded like distributors had pushed in from all around the state simply to be there.
The logistics of getting completely different sorts of top of the range pizza ovens on Monument Circle, together with crowd management, a full large stage, bogs and security personnel, and so on. It was a particularly formidable occasion, particularly for a primary time occasion. In my day job I’ve deliberate free occasions for about 800 faculty college students, and that takes months of prep. I can solely think about the quantity of labor it takes to plan a ticketed outside occasion within the coronary heart of downtown with distributors cooking on the road on the most popular week of the summer season.
Okay, now that I’ve sufficiently hedged my remarks, I can say that the expertise on the occasion was not nice. We confirmed up, like everybody else it appears, round lunch time – as a result of we figured we might simply get a bunch of samples and that may rely as our lunch for the day.
We stayed for about an hour and solely obtained to strive samples from 3 locations. The difficulty was that everybody got here on the identical time, which actually exceeded the capability for the quantity of area we needed to transfer round. Everyone seems to be was so affected person and well mannered and that was truly a part of the issue – individuals stood patiently ready for the road to maneuver, however did not notice that they weren’t truly in a line they had been simply shoulder to shoulder in a giant mob.
The tents had sufficient samples, they had been making them quick sufficient, that wasn’t the issue. It is when somebody completed their pattern that they had nowhere to go they had been simply locked in place standing in entrance of the tent.
We lastly discovered that if we walked round to the aspect of the tent they might hand us a slice as a result of like I stated that they had a lot, simply no one might get to them.
We went to the VIP tent to chill off within the shade, and so they had some free beer and lightweight appetizers. We had been craving a spot to sit down down however that they had principally standing tables to maximise the quantity of ground area.
I feel the occasion might have benefitted from indicators or some strategy to point out who’s in line for a sales space and who’s simply standing close to a sales space, as a result of there was no ‘again of the road’ because the total mob was only one large line it felt like.
We did get to strive Shin Dig pizza and so they ended up successful. We nonetheless must get downtown and examine them out correct. Their Beez Sneez pizza had mozzarella, provolone, fennel sausage, scorching honey, fennel pollen, and jalapeño.
In the event that they do the occasion once more I do know I might give it an opportunity and test it out. I do not assume Chris would return, he already does not like coping with crowds downtown. Town wants extra individuals who dream large and wish to give it a shot, and I’m completely happy to cheer them on.
