Pizza Fest Day 1: Hungry Hordes, Thousands of Slices Demolished

Tom A. theBeijinger

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Droves of ravenous pizza-lovers invaded Chaoyangmen's Galaxy Soho today for the first day of the 2019 Beijing Pizza Festival, laying thousands of slices of pizzas (and a few beers) to waste in their hungry wake.

As predicted, the weather held out, proving the icing on the cake for a day filled with fun, sun, entertainment, and a steady stream of melted cheese and cushy dough.

READ: Check Out the Jam-Packed Entertainment for This Year's Beijing Pizza Fest

Pizza fans were provided with no shortage of Beijing's most unique pies from the likes of Gung Ho!, Pizza Saporita, Tiago, and event-specific surprises from vendors such as Ganges with their chicken tikka masala and channa slices and 3 Little Pigs cranking out baguettes brimming with a range of toppings. Then there was Baozza, whose deep-fried tomato and cheese-filled balls of dough maintained a heaving line throughout the entire day.

As for the entertainment, Tube Station's pizza tossers gave the crowd a taste of things to come in their show on the main stage, flipping and spinning bases of dough high into the air of the event space with cheers of children and adults egging them on. Elsewhere, our sister brand beijingkids' booth remained packed throughout with non-stop face painting as parents banked on the opportunity to roam and have fun.

Save this schedule to keep up with Sunday's entertainment

On the stage, Pizza Face brought a jolt of rock and roll to the party in-between the Mamma Mia singing contest, a surprise crowd favorite, with a dozen crooners belting it out to see who could hold the longest note. The toga contest, meanwhile, gathered the finest Romans in attendance, all of who were decked out with a mixture of pristinely wrapped bedsheets or on-site purchased garb, as well as some choice accessories to take their attire to the next level.

By the time the sun had sunk behind the horizon, Beijing's greatest pizza festival had transformed into a heaving dancefloor, guided all the while by DJ Cousin Kippy and then Sazon, who had the crowd jumping before the party wrapped and the revelers, stuffed and a little tipsy, made their way out into the night perhaps to recoup for the fun that awaits tomorrow.

Scroll down to see the action as it unfurled and don't forget to come feast on more of the same from 11am to 8pm on Sunday! Happy eating and big love, Beijing!