LEMOORE - Chicago claims pizza is all about the deep dish. New York says it's the thin crust. But pizza in Lemoore means 30 pounds of mozzarella dropped from a fire truck onto nine feet of a doughy masterpiece.

Pepperoni, garlic, tomatoes and lots of cheese took center stage this weekend for the seventh annual Central Valley Pizza Festival, which wraps up its three-day run today.

Crowds on Saturday were out in full to enjoy the fun, sun and of course pizza, along with live music, a circus act, a pizza wedge creation contest and a hamster race.

"The reason we have a pizza festival is because all of the ingredients for a pizza are produced here in the Central Valley," said Lynda Lahodny, CEO of the Lemoore Chamber of Commerce. "Every possible thing you can think of that goes on a pizza, except I don't think we grow pineapple," she said.

The pizza festival was the brainchild of former Lemoore chamber CEO Laura Martin seven years ago, Lahodny said. "She hoped the festival would some day equal the Gilroy Garlic Festival, but would capture the agricultural spirit of the Central Valley."

Today the festival has expanded from one to three days. This year's events include a skateboard competition, a beer garden, a pizza bake-off and the Pizza Olympics feeding frenzy.

Wafts of pizza, barbecued ribs and kettle corn filled the air along D Street as kids with snow-cone-dyed red and blue teeth watched the Kent Family Magic Circus perform fire-juggling, mind-reading and other tricks.

"The idea that Lemoore produces so many things that go into pizza, it's awesome," said Carey Alves, a kindergarten teacher from Lemoore. "It's great to teach the kids that pizza doesn't just come from the store," she said as 4-year-old son Zack chomped down a snow cone and beamed a bright red smile.

"I love the opportunity to spend time with the family out of the house," said Maria Green, a teacher in Corcoran. "It's great just getting out and running into people and saying 'hi.'"

One of the more popular events was the pizza-wedge creation contest, where teams designed giant pizza slices and competed for a $100 prize. Standouts included Leprino Foods' west plant and its pirate-themed slice, and the West Hills Culinary Club's beach scene, complete with carrot boats and leek sails, broccoli foliage and parsnip palm trees. The culinary club won in a tightly contested match.

"We had about five meetings to design this," said Andy Yancey, spokesman for Leprino Foods west plant, whose ornate pirate slice included gummy fish, skulls, blue-water frosting and a treasure chest. "A lot of people from the plant are here, they brought their families. It's a great weekend for it and a nice sunny day," he said.

In the Hamsters Ball 500 hamster race, seven hamsters vied for the title of fastest furry friend. A.J., Katie and Aryn Beversluis of Lemoore and their hamster, Kikiyo, won the event and a new deluxe hamster cage.

The trio trained her by putting her in a hamster ball and having her run up and down the street, said Aryn, 14. "But the real secret was Katie's grey shirt. Kikiyo loves grey, so we put Katie at the end of the course and Kikiyo ran to her."

Lahodny said the festival is important to the community because it sets Lemoore apart from other communities in the Valley.

"How many places can you close down the streets and do something like this," she said. "Small towns are all about traditions, and this has become part of our tradition."

The reporter can be reached at 582-0471 ext. 3043.

(April 22, 2007)