SF’s favorite belly-busting beer bust is back this August, as the third annual SF Pizza, Bagel, and Beer Festival returns to North Beach on August 16, and tickets — which always sell out — just went on sale.
In the two years since the SF Pizza, Bagel, and Beer Festival was established, it’s grown to be a huge cult-hit food festival in North Beach, and it's also grown San Franciscans’ waistlines by an unthinkable number of inches. The all-you-can-eat pizza and bagel festival, with plenty of beer flowing too, is the brainchild of 13-time World Pizza Champion Tony Gemignani, whose Tony's Pizza Napoletana in North Beach has been named by Forbes as the best pizzeria in the nation
Is Tony's Pizza Napoletana really the best pizzeria in the nation, or even in San Francisco for that matter? That question will be put to the test during the San Francisco Ooni Pizza Championship at the third annual SF Pizza, Bagel, and Beer Festival, scheduled for Saturday August 16 (the weekend after Outside Lands). Tickets just went on sale, and act fast, because they’ve sold out pretty quickly in each of the last two years.
“Pizza, Bagel & Beer Festival was established to highlight our city’s dynamic food and beverage offerings, celebrate our incredible community, and enjoy a spirited afternoon within one of the most iconic neighborhoods, all while supporting a number of local organizations, so to have the opportunity to bring it back for a third year is a dream come true,” Gemignani said in a press release. "We have an incredible group of vendors this year, including some flying in from across the country, along with a robust entertainment lineup starting with the second annual Ooni Pizza Championship that we can’t wait for everyone to enjoy."
It’s a $90 admission fee, but that gets you all the pizza and bagel samples you care to stuff yourself with over the course of the 12 pm - 4 pm festival. (There are lower-priced tiers for kids.) You also get four beer tickets for the price of admission, plus there’s a VIP tier that gets early admission with an open bar and charcuterie stations.
The more than 65 local pizzerias, bagelries, and breweries that will be on hand are far too numerous to name. But we'll take a quick stab and name-check some of the local pizza legends participating: Tony’s Pizza Napoletana (of course), Goat Hill Pizza, Il Casaro, Little Original Joe’s, PizzaHacker, and Square Pie Guys, among many more. There will also be some out-of -towners from Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Philadelphia.
Bagel-wise, expect to see Dago Bagel, The Laundromat, BagelMacher, Kaz Bagels, Forgotten Bakery, and Bageltopia. Breweries include Sierra Nevada, Drake’s, Standard Deviant, Lagunitas, Fort Point, and a ton of others, with plenty of NA selections too.
The San Francisco Ooni Pizza Championship will be moderated by pizzaiolos Eidref Laxa and Adam Sachs. The event benefits the John Arena Foundation, the Salesian Boys & Girls Club, San Francisco Italian Athletic Club Foundation, Saints Peter & Paul School, and the North Beach Business Association.
The SF Pizza, Bagel & Beer Festival will be Saturday, August 16, 2025 from 12pm – 4pm at Stockton & Filbert Streets in North Beach TICKETS HERE.
Image: Lynn F. via Yelp
