Tomato Pie Day

Spanos (now New York Dough) Tomato Pie sold at Hannaford. They usually competed at Tomato Pie Day in happier times (I know that gets overused).

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 Tomato Pie Day in Utica, NY is a unique family event that draws hundreds every April, even from outside the Mohawk Valley as several local restaurants compete to be voted as the best one in town. However, I'm worried they're pulling a Glastonbury (the UK music festival has fallow years) because there has been no announcement yet as to whether or not they'll have it this year at the rec center on Memorial Parkway. They would have announced it by now. The last time it was cancelled of course was COVID, when it was not held for three years in a row, and it was brought back last year and I went. The crystal ball said it would be 27 April, 52 weeks after the last one, but we can't really confirm that. It could be called off again with rising food costs, staffing shortages, the challenges of running a small business in a small town, and the economy overall. It's just I can't plan until I know for drop dead sure that it's on so I can clear my day so I don't go that way during the week for other things because I can't afford to go out of town twice a month or every week anymore, even in warmer months, let alone to the same place a couple times. Lucky I can do it once or at all these days. Like a real journalist, I reached out to I Love Utica and New York Dough (which absorbed Spanos), but have not heard back from either. I may not even have regular pizza all the time, but tomato pie we call our own. Not the same kind as in Mercer County (NJ Capital Region) or the South. If I do hear anything official, I will update this post straight away. Tomato, tomahto, let's not call the whole thing off yet.

UPDATE (22/3/25): Tomato Pie Day might not be held in 2025 either as there is also no official word yet, as there would have to be by now so everyone can plan. More recent events in the past year since may have made it even harder to do this anymore, and I've gone out of town much less lately myself, and I have had changes in my own life and can't afford a round trip of $30 on travelling alone. Worst case scenario, the event may have been retired permanently or indefinitely, albeit unceremoniously. We're only halfway through what hasn't been an easy decade as if there ever was one. I don't even eat tomato pie that often, or pizza proper. Have yet to get back to Oneida County again, but I guess they just don't want to admit they won't have it again or address the elephant in the room. Once again, if a miracle happens, I'll put another update. Otherwise, consider it over for now unless they say it's back.