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Happy hump day, Longmont! The NFL regular season has finally arrived. The New England Patriots will be taking on the Seattle Seahawks tonight on NBC at 6:20 p.m. Yes, the NFL is beginning on a Wednesday. It’s part of a focused effort by the league to own every day of the week. They already have Sunday, Monday, and Thursday. Now, they just have to overtake college football, high school football, and Taco Tuesday. Reportedly, Taco Bell is scheming up their most wild Doritos-flavored quesadilla-burrito-taco combination to date to combat it.
Today — Mixed reactions to the Colorado Pizza Festival, a mega traffic update, and Longmont is a rising real estate star.
Let’s dive in.
TOP STORY
🌎 Long lines, confusion, and heat: Inside the tumultuous Colorado Pizza Festival
Thousands attended the Colorado Pizza Festival on 4th Ave and Kimbark St
Pizza parties are fun, but they’re also messy. The Colorado Pizza Festival was no exception.
Longmont hosted the inaugural Colorado Pizza Festival last Saturday selling more than 7,000 tickets. The reactions…were mixed. While some attendees labeled the event a massive success, much louder voices described the festival with much less-forgiving language: miserable, havoc, a failure.
So, what went wrong? Here’s a rundown:
Long lines: Just to enter the festival, visitors endured lines with wait times reaching up to 90 minutes, though that was on the high end. Visitors who arrived in the early evening had little to no wait.
But long lines lingered even after entry. Most of the 23 pizza vendors required a substantial wait for most of the afternoon, ranging from 10-30 minutes.
There was even a line for the water cooler.
Some visitors expressed frustration that, even once they got in line, they were unsure what they were in line for. Lines for individual vendors were so long and densely packed together it was difficult to discern exactly which vendor you were waiting for.
High heat: With 90+ degree temperatures persisting through the afternoon, few shaded areas, and difficult-to-access water, problems ensued. Medical assistance was needed at least once following report of heat-related medical issues from visitors.
Here are some quotes from attendees we spoke to:
“I love the idea of this event, but this is a little crazy,” Longmont business owner Hopi Moore-Sargent said, who owns Summit Wellness Group.
“Event planning is hard. It’s harder when you don’t know what you’re doing,” a Reddit user wrote.
“What happened yesterday was certainly a chaotic frustration, and people got hurt. People were let down. Vendors were busting their asses and attendees were suffering in crowds and lines,” another Reddit user commented.
However…there were several attendees who spoke more optimistically about the festival:
“I was really overstimulated by the long lines and how loud it was, but once we got a slice of pizza, I warmed up to it,” Thornton resident Meghan Shockey said.
“I got my money’s worth. All the pizzas were really, really good, and I got to try some places I never had before” Longmont resident Wesley Cooper said. “It was well worth it.”
Several others lamented the long lines and thick crowds, but acknowledged that any festival in its first year will have significant issues. Plus, when 100% of a festival’s proceeds are sent to anti-hunger nonprofits, they’re willing to give a little grace. Funds raised will be sent to Slice Out Hunger, Longmont Food Rescue, Community Food Share and Colorado Friendship.
Moving forward:
The Colorado Pizza Festival released a statement that stopped short of apologizing but did acknowledge the event’s issues. As the crowds surpassed what they were prepared for, attempts to further admission failed.
“We had ticket caps in place and scrambled to adjust them several times Saturday on the fly, but it didn’t help and just made things more frustrating,” the statement read.
But event officials are imploring for pizza fans to give them another chance.
“We want you to know we’ve read all your comments and messages, praise and criticism, and most importantly, suggestions. And we hear you, we’re listening, and we promise to use all the feedback to make the festival better,” the statement read.
Stay tuned — The Longmont Brief will have more from festival organizers in an upcoming newsletter.
How would you rate the Colorado Pizza Festival?
Sponsored by Grossen Bart Brewery
Find all the NFL games you want this Fall at Grossen Bart Brewery
It’s going to be hard to leave Grossen Bart Brewery on Sundays.
The brewery has once again acquired NFL Sunday Ticket, which gives football fans access to all the games your local channels don’t provide. Choose from among up to 15 beers on tap while cheering on your favorite squad. Whether it’s the Perfect Pilsner or the newly-tapped New Zealand Mermaid Ale, a fresh brew will either fuel the thrill of victory or ease the agony of defeat. Oh, and don’t forget they have pizza now.
Keep an eye on your calendar, too. Grossen Bart is hosting an Oktoberfest party all weekend long, September 18-20. That’s when visitors can also get their first taste of the brewery’s freshly-tapped Märzen. Find them at 1025 Delaware Ave.
Headlines
3 Big Things
Courtesy: Colorado Department of Transportation
All left turns at Hover & 119 close today: The appointed hour has come. As of today, all left turns — and one right turn — at the intersection of Highway 119 and Hover Street have closed. Construction crews began the transition last night. The closures are needed to build the new bridge for Boulder-bound traffic. Once complete, an entire traffic light sequence will disappear. But, the ambitious project needs time — the closures will be in place for a year. God forgive us for our road rage-related sins.
Longmont ranked among nation’s best real estate markets: Longmont is the 35th best real estate market in the United States, per a new study from WalletHub. The research compared 300 cities using 17 metrics including housing affordability, job growth rate, and Zillow’s home value forecast. A 35 spot may separate Longmont from the nation’s elite, but it reigns supreme in Colorado. It’s the top-ranked city in the state ahead of juggernauts like Fort Collins (#37) and Colorado Springs (#56). Boulder has some work to do — it’s all the way down at #230. Out of all 300 cities, WalletHub says Boulder is the worst city in its “Affordability and Economic Environment” category.
Officials want more trees in east Longmont: In an effort to keep Longmont cooler and bolster the city’s canopy, east Longmont residents are being invited to request a free tree, as part of the Growing Shade program. The program will give away 200 trees to eligible residents, as well as the support and tools to properly care for their trees. Properties east of Main Street and in areas with less than 25% tree canopy coverage will be eligible. The program began last year bringing 100 new trees to Longmont.
Check this out
Longmont recognized for efforts to improve air quality
We haven’t seen anyone clear the air like this since Lance Armstrong went on Oprah.
Longmont has been named a 2026 Clean Air Champion by the Regional Air Quality Council. The award recognizes businesses, organizations and individuals across the Front Range going above and beyond to bolster air quality in their area.
Longmont has launched several initiatives aimed at cleaning up Longmont’s air:
Fleet changes: 86 vehicles in the City of Longmont’s fleet now use alternative fuel, with additional hybrid vehicles being added.
The city is also ditching diesel — It’s added 22 compressed natural gas trucks to its compost, recycling and garbage fleet. CNG is produced from biogas captured at Longmont’s wastewater treatment plant.
Air quality monitoring: Since 2020, Longmont has collected detailed air quality data at two locations — one near Union Reservoir and the other at Vance Brand Airport.
Anti-idling campaign: This year, Longmont’s Green Team launched its first internal anti-idling initiative, encouraging employees to reduce the time their vehicle spends idling.
You, too, can join Longmont in the celebration. Next Tuesday, the RAQC is hosting the 4th annual Clean Air Champions Awards Ceremony in Denver. It’s open to the public but registration is required.
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Last Call
Today’s Longmont weather forecast predicts sunny and clear conditions with a high of 83 degrees, per the National Weather Service.
The average price for a gallon of gas in the Longmont-Boulder area is $4.30. That’s four cents lower than a week ago but 27 cents higher than a month ago, according to AAA.
Longmont Emergency Unit reported a sinkhole at 9th Avenue and Kimbark Street last night, advising alternate routes.
Centennial Pool closed yesterday following mechanical issues. The closure remains in effect today, but maintenance teams will attempt to reopen it in time for afternoon programming. Find updates here.
Fall foliage colors will peak earlier than usual, according to CDOT. Learn what you need to know here.
Prep football: Silver Creek defeated Centaurus 34-7 to improve to 1-1. Longmont defeated Skyline 41-0 to improve to 2-0. Skyline falls to 0-3.
Prep boys’ soccer: Silver Creek’s state ranking rose to #5, per Colorado Preps.
Until Friday,
The Longmont Brief
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