By Mauricio Segura August 20, 2025
Photo: Courtesy of Siena Di Roma
If you want to know what community tastes like, North Beach in mid-August was the epitome. There, the third annual Pizza, Bagel & Beer Festival transformed two blocks of San Francisco’s most storied neighborhood into a carb-lover’s paradise, drawing more than 3,000 people this past Saturday for an afternoon of dough, hops, and heart.
At the center of it all was Tony Gemignani, the 13-time World Pizza Champion and a man who somehow manages to make tossing dough into the air look like Olympic sport. In collaboration with the San Francisco Italian Athletic Club Foundation, Gemignani orchestrated an event that brought together more than 65 local pizzerias, bagelries, and breweries. Attendees weaved through booths piled high with steaming bagels, bubbling slices, and pints of beer flowing faster than the lines could drain them. It wasn’t just a feast for the stomach but for the neighborhood itself: by the end of the day, the festival had raised an impressive $65,000 for local organizations including the John Arena Foundation, Salesian Boys & Girls Club, Saints Peter & Paul School, and the North Beach Business Association.
That charitable spirit has been a hallmark of the festival since its founding, and this year’s total brings the cumulative fundraising to more than $140,000 in just three years. On stage, Gemignani stood with representatives of the nonprofits as oversized checks were presented, joined by San Francisco’s new mayor, Daniel Lurie, who reminded the crowd that the strength of the city is measured not only in landmarks and skylines but in neighborhoods that care for one another. It was one of those moments where a civic pep talk landed best with sauce on your shirt and a beer in your hand.
The event itself continues to grow in both size and ambition. Organizers anticipated the crowds and smartly added a second entrance this year, smoothing the flow of festival-goers into the buzzing streets. There were activities for kids, including a pizza-making station stocked with Ooni ovens where little hands could craft their own miniature pies. Alongside the expected slices and bagels were creative touches from sponsors, with Pepsi offering a lineup of “dirty sodas,” Graffeo Coffee brewing strong for the caffeine crowd, and breweries pouring everything from light pilsners to hop-heavy IPAs. The balance between tradition and innovation gave the day its pulse, with one foot planted firmly in the Italian-American roots of North Beach and the other experimenting with what is next.
What set this festival apart from the typical street fair was its sense of collaboration rather than competition. Gemignani, who could easily dominate the spotlight, instead opened the stage to fellow makers from across the Bay Area and even beyond. Pizza outfits like Triple Beam out of Los Angeles and Hot Tongue Pizza joined local favorites, while bagel shops and breweries added their own spin to the mix. It wasn’t about who had the cheesiest slice or the fluffiest bagel, it was about stacking the deck with enough culinary talent that everyone left full, happy, and maybe a little buzzed.
The atmosphere was a swirl of aromas and laughter, a place where families pushed strollers past beer tents, old friends bumped into each other over bagels, and tourists snapped photos with plates piled high. The energy was playful but purposeful. Every ticket sold, every slice devoured, every pint poured was a contribution to organizations working daily to keep San Francisco’s youth engaged, schools thriving, and small businesses alive. That is what makes this festival more than just another food event. It is, in its own way, a blueprint for how local culture and community can thrive together.
By the time the final pies were pulled from ovens and the last kegs tapped, the streets of North Beach had proved once again that food can be more than sustenance. It can be glue. It can be pride. It can even be philanthropy with cheese melted on top. The Pizza, Bagel & Beer Festival may be just three years old, but it already feels like a North Beach institution, the kind of gathering that turns into memory the second you walk away. In a city that sometimes forgets how to celebrate itself, this festival is a reminder that joy, generosity, and good carbs are still alive and thriving.
