The 6th annual and largest single day celebration of everything you love about PIZZA in the heart of Ankeny, Iowa! A festival of all American fun with friends, featuring Best of the Fest pizza tasting, spirits, music, pizza eating and kid’s dough tossing contests, and more. Fun and food for the whole family in the entertainment center of Prairie Trail, The District.
WHEN: Saturday, June 4, 2022– 4pm to 11pm
WHERE: Town Square Park in The District at Prairie Trail, 1500 SW Main Street, Ankeny, IA 50023
COST: Admission is FREE!!!
Headliner: American Authors
Sponsored by:
Karl Chevrolet | Elite Glass and Metal LLC | Ankeny Sanitation | Keen Project Solutions
Belin McCormick | Casey’s Pizza | Community State Bank | Details Garage | 1st Interiors | Heartland | JLL | Portland Construction | Raker Rhodes | Seamus Excavating | Tesdell | DMRG Star 102.5
-Yanni’s Grill
-Main Street Cafe and Bakery
-The Outside Scoop
-WiseGuys Pizza
-Magee’s Irish Pub & Eatery
-Cold Stone Creamery/Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory
-Chad’s Pizza
-Karam’s Grill LLC
-Bordenaros Pizza
-Roadside Tacos
-Abbie’s Pizza
-Fongs
-Smokey Row
-Boss Pizza and Chicken
-The Eggroll Ladies
*Casey’s will be sampling pizza on site
*Atlantic Bottle Company will be sampling Fairlife Milk and Minute Maid Aguas Frescas
Best of the Fest – champion crowned from the pizzerias at Pizza Fest with the most votes at the end of the evening. Attendees purchase a $3 sample of the pizzerias entry pizzas. Attendees can scan a QR code to cast their vote.
Best Pizza-Like Creation – a champion will be crowned from the restaurants and food trucks as they share their pizza-like creations at teach location. Attendees purchase a $3 sample of the pizza-like creation entry at the restaurants’ tent or food truck. Attendees cast their vote for their favorite pizza-like creation by scanning a QR code.
Voting starts at the opening of Pizza Fest at 4pm and ends at 8pm. Winners will be announced on the Karl Chevrolet Stage before 9:45pm.
Tentative Schedule
All contest registration will be done on-site.
Pizza Box Balancing – 4:20 at Keen Project Solutions Stage
-Registration opens at 4 pm
-Ages 5-10
-Prizes; 1st Place $100 B&B – 2nd Place $50 Coldstone
-Rounds: Round 1 – 10 Contestants – 1 advances to winner bracket | Round 2 – 10 Contestants – 1 advances to winner bracket | Final Round – 2 Contestants – 1 winner but prizes are handed out to everyone
Dough Tossing – 5:10 at Keen Project Solutions Stage
-Registration opens at 4:45 pm
-Ages 8-10
-Prizes: 1st Place $100 Operating Room – 2nd Place $50 AR Workshop – 3rd Place $25 Outside Scoop – Participation Awards $5 Coldstone Gift Cards
-Rounds: Round 1 – 10 Contestants – 3 advance to winner bracket | Round 2 – 10 Contestants – 3 advance to winner bracket | Final Round -Top 6 – 1 winner but 3 prizes handed out
Team Pizza Making – 6:30 at Keen Project Solutions Stage
-Registration opens at 6 pm
-Ages 5-10 and adults 18+
-Prizes: 1st Place $100 AR Workshop – 2nd Place $75 Operating Room – 3rd Place $50 B&B – Participation Prizes $20 Main Street
-Rounds: Round 1-10 contestants (5 teams) – everyone will be awarded prizes
Match The Pizza – 7:10 at Keen Project Solutions Stage
-The first three winners to match all three food vendors
-Registration opens at 6:30 pm
-Ages 15+
-Prizes: 1st Place $100 Magees, 2nd Place $50 Silk Elephant, 3rd Place $25 Smokey Row
-Rounds: Round 1-10 contestants – winners that guess all three vendors
Pizza Eating – 7:45 at Keen Project Solutions Stage
-Registration opens at 7:15 pm
-Ages 18+
-Prizes: 1st Place Pizza for a year from Fongs, 2nd Place $75 Jethros, 3rd Place $25 Jersey Mike’s
Each participant will search the Town Square Park for pizza toppings and clues to the Pizza Riddles. Volunteers will be on hand to award prizes for successfully finding the missing pizza toppings and solving the riddles. Turn in your completed card for a prize. No need to register in advance. Show up and play!
The place just for kids, perfectly designed for kids 12 and under. Featuring games and activities and prizes and fun all afternoon, the Pizza Party Fun Zone will begin at 4 pm when Pizza Fest opens.
Free Activities 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Pizza Scavenger Hunt
Each participant will search the Town Square Park for pizza toppings and clues to the Pizza Riddles. Volunteers will be on hand to stamp their entry card for successfully finding the missing pizza toppings and solving riddles. Turn in your completed card for a prize. No need to register in advance. Show up and play!
Pizza Spot the Difference
Kids of all ages will be trying to spot the differences to win a prize. This is a one-to-one game in the Pizza Party Fun Zone and the clues are designed to be age appropriate. No need to sign up in advance. Show up and play!
Trivia Station
Guests of all ages try their best to score trivia points and win a prize. It’s all about pizza trivia…pizza history…pizza at the movies and more! The event is free and there is no need to sign up in advance.
Character Meet and Greet
Meet the princess in the Pizza Party Fun Zone. Belle will be on hand, dressed in her finest royal attire. Iowa League of Heroes’ superheroes, The Dark Knight and Supergirl will be there too. Kids, have fun with these costumed characters in Town Square park and don’t forget to snap a photo to share. The characters will be here from 4:30 pm to 7:30 pm.
Vendor Spaces
AR Workshop and the Ankeny Art Center will be on site in the Pizza Party Fun Zone where kids can have fun with a make-n-take craft.
Free parking will be available at the DMACC Ankeny campus with a shuttle running to and from DMACC and the District. Lots L,J, and N will be available for festival parking and will be marked with yard signs.
No firearms or weapons of any kind allowed.
No pets.
No outside food or beverages – takeout from District Restaurants is allowed
No smoking inside the festival.
Bags limited to 12x12x6”.
Bags subject to search.