18 BUSINESS
IRONCITY.INK
SIPS & BITES
HAPPENINGS
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FACES
JUNE 2016
B’HAM BIZARRE
NECK OF THE WOODS
DISCOVER
From parking lot to whole block 5th annual SliceFest set to take over Lakeview district with food, fun and music
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By ERICA TECHO lice Pizza and Brewhouse co-owners and brothers Jeff, Chris and Jason Bajalieh held the first SliceFest in 2011 as a way to thank the community. It was intended to be a simple parking lot party, but about 2,000 people showed up to celebrate the restaurant’s first year. “It was a lot more than a parking lot party,” said Denise Koch, the event planner for SliceFest. Now in its fifth year, SliceFest has more than doubled in attendance and has grown too large for the restaurant’s parking lot. In 2015, the festival expanded to take over 29th Street in Lakeview. “It really made it more of a neighborhood festival than just Slice,” Koch said. At this year’s June 11 event, the road will once again be fenced off, and other Lakeview restaurants will join in on the festivities. Local and regional bands will perform at the festival, and restaurants often have specials for SliceFest attendees.
5th annual SliceFest
SliceFest, a music and food festival in Lakeview, will feature live performances by local and regional bands. Photos courtesy of Andi Rice.
At Slice Pizza and Brewhouse, SliceFest brings a chance to offer up a few nontraditional pizza options, such as figs or pork and
peaches as toppings. “You get to be a little adventurous for the day,” Jeff Bajalieh said.
• WHEN: June 11, noon to midnight • WHERE: Lakeview district (29th Street South) • TICKETS: Advance tickets: $25; At the gate: $35 • MUSIC LINEUP: The Revivalists The Soul Rebels Keller Williams The Weeks Vallejo Break Science Muddy Magnolias Riley Green Baily Ingle • WEB: slicefest.com
Slice chef Terrill Brazelton said choosing pizza options breaks down into three parts: One third is what people are expecting, one