Pizza, pizza and more pizza. And beer too, at an event Sunday in CT

The Connecticut Pizza and Brew Fest will be held at the Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater on Sunday July 16, 2023, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Bridgeport, rain or shine, according to organizers.

The event, a partnership of Connoisseur Media and the New Haven Pizza School is billed as a “first of its kind” is a nod to Connecticut pizza culture being “renowned for being one of the best in the country,” organizers said.

“Pizza lovers are encouraged to attend a day of pizza, craft brews, music, and fun,” organizers said in a release.

There will be pizza and brew, with craft brew samples, and live music from Last Man Standing Band, Pop Rocks, JULAI and the Serotones, merchandise to purchase, and more, according to organizers.

“Connecticut Pizza & Brew Fest is a celebration of Connecticut’s rich pizza culture, and we’re thrilled to be able to bring it to the state where it all started,” Frank Zabski of the New Haven Pizza School, one of the organizers of the event, said in the statement “We invite everyone to come out, enjoy some delicious pizza & beer, and have a great time with family and friends.”

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Pizza vendors are to include: Bertucci’s, Big Green Pizza Truck, East Coast Pizza Truck, Frank Pepe Pizzeria, Little Pub, Nautilus Pizza, New Haven Pizza Truck, Silver Sands Pizza Truck, Slice of New Haven, The Parlor, The Pizza Pie Wagon, Una Dolce Vita and Zuppardi’s. Desserts will be from: Michelle’s Pies, Moon Rock Gourmet Cookie, and Valley Jim’s Soft Serve.  Beer and other beverage samples all day are from: Athletic Brewing Co., BADSONS Beer Co., Barn Brew, Big Machine Vodka Spiked Coolers, Drink Mechanics, Fishers Island Lemonade, Good Dogg Seltzer, Hanging Hills Brewery, Links Drinks, Pump House Brewery, Waterbird, and Whalers Brewing.

There also will be panel discussions held by “icons of New Haven Pizza” and well-known pizzerias: Frank Pepe’s Pizzeria, Ernie’s of Westville, Abate of Wooster Street, Sally’s Apizza, and Big Green Pizza Truck from New Haven, the statement said.

The event is sponsored by: Sacred Heart University Brewing Science Program, Big Machine Vodka Spiked Coolers, New Haven Pizza School, Carbutti Real Estate and Connoisseur Media Connecticut, with special thanks to partners: Campus Customs, Electric Boat, and Napoli Foods, organizers said.

Tickets options:

VIP hour with a limited number of tickets available from 11 a.m. to noon, “which allows guests to indulge in all-you-can-eat pizza samples for $50 per person,” $25 for kids under 12; or General Admission from noon to 3 p.m. for $15 for adults and $5 for kids under 12, with $3 slices and many other options available.  Tickets are available for purchase at ticketmaster.com.  There will be a very limited general admission tickets available at the door.  VIP tickets will not be sold at the door.