Petrolia Pizzafest off to a sizzling start

Petrolia Pizzafest off to a sizzling start

PETROLIA – A town official was asked Saturday what’s the connection between Petrolia and pizza.

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“We don’t know,” Laurissa Ellsworth said with a smile. “Eleven years ago we said the best thing to do is to celebrate what you’ve got, so we started Pizzafest. As you can see, pizza’s pretty popular.”

Tom and Sandra Lannan of Petrolia take bites of their slices during Petrolia Pizzafest Saturday afternoon in Victoria Park. Terry Bridge/Sarnia Observer/Postmedia Network Photo by Terry Bridge /Terry Bridge/The Observer

Saturday marked the 11thth edition of Petrolia Pizzafest, a yearly event celebrating the town’s love for the food. Doors to the free-admission event in Victoria Park, featuring all seven of the town’s pizzerias, opened at noon and it got off to a quick start.

“It’s about an hour in and we’ve already sold 1,500 slices of pizza,” said Ellsworth, the town’s director of marketing and communications.

Petrolia Pizzafest
Alyson Fischer of the duo Fischer & Lovatt performs next to a giant inflatable slice of pizza during Petrolia Pizzafest Saturday afternoon in Victoria Park. Terry Bridge/Sarnia Observer/Postmedia Network Photo by Terry Bridge /Terry Bridge/The Observer

Usually 6,000 to 7,500 slices are sold each year, she said.

“As long as the weather stays we usually stay at that number,” she said.

Amid sunny skies, the band Fischer & Lovatt, one of four scheduled to play during the seven-hour event, performed on a nearby stage. Local service clubs were on site selling items aside from pizza such as candy, drinks and ice cream. Kids jumped on a bouncy castle and played with beach balls.

Petrolia Pizzafest
Adam Mohammad and Violet Danchuk, both 10-year-old Petrolia residents, hit a beach ball to each other during Petrolia Pizzafest Saturday afternoon in Victoria Park. Terry Bridge/Sarnia Observer/Postmedia Network Photo by Terry Bridge /Terry Bridge/The Observer

But the main attraction was the thousands of slices available for $2.50 each.

“It’s just a day about pizza, really,” Ellsworth said.

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