Boston Pizza Festival: Everything You Need To Know

June means a lot of things in Massachusetts. The end of the school year, summer vacation, baseball, and pizza. The Boston Pizza Festival is taking place on over the weekend of June 22 and 23 at City Hall Plaza. Here, we will talk about everything you need to know about one of the country's most beloved foods taking over the city.

To start, the event on both Saturday and Sunday begins at 11 AM and will run until 6 PM. That's 14 hours full of eating your favorite slices and trying new ones.

Entry to the event is free this year. However, you will need to purchase tickets to get your pizza. These can be pre-purchased, so you don't have to wait on the day you attend. "Get your pizza slice tickets before the weekend to avoid waiting in line! Enjoy delicious slices without having to spend time queuing up," the Boston Pizza Fest states.

Here is the breakdown of ticket options.

There are four ticket package options. The 3-slice purchase will cost you $11.99. This gives you tickets to grab any three slices across the festival. There is a 5-slice offer for $17.99 and a 10-slice option for $31.99.

Lastly, the most expensive ticket is the "Boston Pizza Festival VIP." This will run you $40, however it is important to stress that this is an add-on. It does not get you pizza slices. It does entitle you to express lane interest, two soft drinks, and a commemorative pizza box.

The obvious question is wanting to know which pizza restaurants will be there for you to try. The event's official Instagram account continues to announce vendors on a weekly basis. Don't be fooled by the name, this event is drawing national attention. For example, Luna Rossa Cucina Rustica is based in Miami; they're making the trip north to participate. They cook up artisan, Neapolitan-style pizza.

Cancun Pizza out of New Hampshire and Maine will also be there. This is more of a bar pie style. In terms of local favorites, Burano's Wood-Fired Pizzeria is on the list, as is Florina, who won the competition in both 2018 and 2019.

Gluten-free options, square pizza, and dessert pizza are also expected to be available at certain booths. Although we are just a few short weeks from having all the pizza you can imagine at your fingertips in City Call, the festival is still accepting applications for new vendors to participate. You simply advise which tent size space you would need, in addition to gas, propane, and table requirements.

Drinks are also available at the Boston Pizza Festival. You must be 21 years of age to grab a beer or glass of wine, but smart water and polar seltzer are also set to be there to wash it all down.

As a pizza-eating professional and enthusiast, my words of wisdom to relay here are simply to take it slow. It's easy to arrive starving and run wild. Pizza can fill you up quickly. I've fallen victim to this approach and learned the hard way that there is no trophy awarded to the person who engages in high-end gluttony. If you have the time, pace yourself so that you can truly enjoy all the unique flavors these pizzerias are bringing to the party.

I'm a guy who moved from New Jersey to Boston; growing up, Sicilian pizza was pretty easily available. I incorrectly assumed that all Americans enjoyed this kind of pizza selection. However, when I moved to Boston, I realized that it's much harder to find that delicacy here. But there are also a few unique places that are cooking up Sicilian pizza in Massachusetts.

As an expert on Sicilian, I will tell you that it has to be prepared properly in order for it to be worth the calories. Here, I will detail three establishments where you can find great Sicilian pizza in Massachusetts. Sure, you may have to travel a bit, but these places are worth your time.

Before we cut into this delicious style of pie, let’s define our terms. Traditional Sicilian pizza is cut into square or rectangular-shaped slices. The crust is thicker and crunchy. Though this pizza is obviously heavier, it still can be topped with your favorite pizza add-ons. A sprinkle of oregano is a subtle but often important finishing.

Though strip pizza in Rhode Island is similar, one significant difference with Sicilian is that it is not baked on a focaccia style dough. In fact, Palermo Pizza NJ defines what distinguishes Sicilian Pizza and what makes it different from regular pizza. “The dough rises differently with this kind of crust because more oil is used in the recipe as opposed to a regular pizza crust recipe,” they said, when describing how this is made in a rectangular pan.

In Massachusetts, the three locations that are serving up great Sicilian Pizza are quite different from each other, but have this menu item in common. One of them happens to be a favorite of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.

Tucked into a quaint New England, Harvard Square street, Pinocchio's is where you need to go if you want Sicilian pizza of all varieties. It's also where you will see Mark Zuckerberg's photo all over the wall. This was the go-to spot for Zuck while he was attending Harvard. In fact, it's a place he still makes sure to stop into when in town. As for the pizza, there are 20 different toppings you can find atop the hot Sicilian pies. These pies come in a 9-slice or 15-slice size option. The 15-slice pie comes in two boxes and can feed up to nine people. During the school months, Pinocchio's stays open until 2 am on weekends.

At 289 Hanover Street in the North End of Boston, Umberto's can be easy to miss. However, once you recognize their old-school sign, you know you are in for a treat. They are old-school: it is a cash-only establishment where the large trays of piping hot Sicilian pies are continuously served. Typically, it's cheese only, but you will not be disappointed as no other flavor is needed. The single line usually reaches the door, but it moves quickly. It also gives you time to decide which arancini (their famous rice ball) you'd like to add to your order.

Leone's Pizza and Sub has been family-owned and operated since 1954. They are located right on Broadway and open seven days per week, from 8 a.m. - 9:30 p.m. Their Sicilian pizza is the standard menu option here. It is available by the slice, in a half tray or full tray. The whole tray also comes in two boxes (16 slice) and costs $40. Their Sicilian pies also come in a tomato basil option and a spinach and garlic. Leone's sub menu contains over 30 options. This includes a fried meatball sub.

Right in the heart of Cleveland Circle, Pino's is a fan-favorite of Boston College students. Though the crust is a perfect combination of pillow and crunch, the secret here is actually in the sauce. Pino's describes it as "delicious, garlicky tomato sauce with in-house seasoning, cooked on a pan." $20 gets you nine Sicilian slices at Pino's. If you want to add variety to your order, they also have alfredo pies, white pies, and buffalo chicken. Like Pinocchio's, Pino's stays open until the early morning hours on the weekend to help accommodate the college crowd.