The Long Island Pizza Festival is this Saturday

If you’re into pizza, you’ll want to set aside a few hours this Saturday for the second annual Long Island Pizza Festival.  

Last year’s maiden voyage, at Mill Dam Park in Huntington, was such a success that organizers Frank Antonetti, Corey Gluckstal and JB Woodworth have upped the ante for 2026: The event will move to the outdoor plaza at the Nassau Coliseum. While they expected about 1,000 people in 2025, more than 2,500 showed up. This year, they've got room for 7,000 hungry attendants who are interested in sampling all the styles available on Long Island — classic New York and Sicilian, Neapolitan, Roman, Detroit, combos thereof and twists thereon.

The 20 pizzeria purveyors in Uniondale will range from Americano of Syosset to Zozo’s on the Bay of Bayville. Among others filling in the alphabet are Dario’s of West Hempstead, Donatina of Patchogue, Dough & Co. of Huntington and Oyster Bay, Furci's of Bayport, Grotta di Fuoco of Long Beach, Mama Theresa's of East Meadow, Rosa's of Great Neck, Say Cheese of Melville and Uncle Frank's of Wantagh.

Antonetti is working with event sponsor Marra Forni to see that every pizzeria has an oven comparable to its "home" oven. In that respect, the pizza trucks slated to attend — Serpico’s Bread Co., Our Pizza, Pizza Passeggio, Pizza by Tano — may have an easier time of it.

There will be two tasting sessions (noon to 3 p.m. and 4 to 7 p.m.) and a $75 ticket entitles the bearer to unlimited pizza during one session. The price is $25 for kids under 12 and free for kids 5 and under. If you buy three full-price tickets, the fourth one is free. 

Holders of VIP tickets ($250) can eat their fill throughout both sessions, and repair to a VIP area where they will enjoy catering by Borelli's of East Meadow, cocktails by Artemis Speakeasy of Ronkonkoma and more VIP experiences yet to be finalized.

Throughout the day there will be pizza seminars and demos, a vendor village, crafts for kids and live music. At 7 p.m., Michael DelGuidice (Billy Joel band stalwart and a performer in his own right) will cap the day’s activities with a set.

Last year, the organizers donated $5,000 to Heavenly Harvst  and, this year, they have committed to donating at least that much to LI Pizza Strong, the pizzeria-supported charity that raises funds for the families of victims of tragedy and violence (such as the Farmingdale bus crash and fallen Nassau County Officer Patricia Espinosa). If the event does more than break even, Antonetti said, the donation will be higher. 

Parking is not included, nor are the various beverage options. Last year there was only beer and wine; this year there will also be liquor, including Aperol spritzes and negronis. For more information or to buy advance tickets, go to thelongislandpizzafestival.com.