Pizza Lovers' Camp for Grown-Ups

The overnight Pizza Party with the MPLS Pizza Club is back—and this fifth year is reportedly its last. So, if it sounds like an interesting idea, it may be your last chance to check it out.

Pizza Camp? Yes, it’s an overnight retreat for adults (21 and over) that combines classic summer camp programming alongside 24 hours of pizza-centric meals and entertainment.

The 2018 Pizza Camp kicks off at Baker Near-Wilderness Settlement in Maple Plain, Minnesota, on Saturday morning July 7, where campers will drop their sleeping bags off at their cabins and grab their swag bags before loading up on pizza, doughnuts, and coffee to gear up for 24 hours of pizza-partying.

This year’s itinerary includes canoeing, archery, hiking, pizza-themed campfire sing-a-longs, a pizza photo booth, crafts, games—such as “capture the pizza” and “pizza wars”—and a hands-on dough-making class. Campers are also invited to participate in the artist-in-residence workshops like light-drawing with Brian Matthew Hart, screenprinting with local illustrator BERGY, and a Taste of Pizza History class with a representative from the U.S. Pizza Museum, who will be joining the group from Chicago.

For dinner, the community-style pizza party features a tri-pizza system with various forms of pizza at the ready. Each camper is also invited to make their own pizza from the DIY toppings bar and fire it up in the woodfire ovens with the help of one of the camp’s pizzaiolos (pizza chefs).

MPLS Pizza Club
What is the MPLS Pizza Club? It’s a community for pizza enthusiasts with Minneapolis ties who eat, share, explore, create, and celebrate all things pizza. There is no official membership—the club is based on shared experiences, community, and collaboration both online and in person. The club was founded by Paige Guggemos in 2013. Chris Cloud joins Guggemos as Pizza Camp Co-Directors.

The Location
The Baker Near-Wilderness Settlement Twin Cities Metro Environmental Center is just 30 minutes from downtown Minneapolis, so it’s like getting out of town without actually leaving. The rustic learning center is situated within Baker Park Reserve—which is part of the Three Rivers Park District—so campers can reconnect with nature and explore the outdoors all while enjoying pizza, of course. The Pizza Camp campers have this entire facility to themselves. The Settlement features eight cabins, an expansive log lodge with a large stone fireplace and wrap-around porch, miles of trails, and many natural habitats.

To Register
The all-inclusive price of $199 includes all activities, lodging in rustic cabins, all meals, snacks, plenty of drinks, and a Pizza Camp swag package including a T-shirt, tote bag, apron, and more. Each ticket also includes free access to all of the camp programming. Campers can register as individuals or groups, and tickets are on sale now at pizzacamp.org. Registration ends one week prior to pizza camp, which is coming up soon!

Mary Subialka is the editor of Real Food and Drinks magazines, covering the flavorful world of food, wine, and spirits. She rarely meets a chicken she doesn’t like, and hopes that her son, who used to eat beets and Indian food as a preschooler, will one day again think of real food as more than something you need to eat before dessert and be inspired by his younger brother, who is now into trying new foods.