World-Class Chaos Delivers World Record: Pizza-Party Documentary Premieres at New Haven Museum

NEW HAVEN, CT — In September 2025 New Haven attempted to oust Tulsa, OK, (huh?) as the world records title for the “largest pizza party." In the end, the ah-beetz capital came to win.

Four thousand five hundred twenty-five pizza party participants set the new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ for the world’s largest pizza party on September 12, 2025, as part of the 10th annual Apizza Feast (“Ah-beetz Feast”). New Haven surpassed the then existing pizza party record of 3,357 people set by Tulsa, Oklahoma in 2023.

Mayor Justin Elicker was proud.

“New Haven has once again demonstrated its pizza supremacy, and why the Elm City is the pizza capital of the country and the world. With 4,525 pizza party participants, the love for pizza and New Haven was literally palpable and on clear display. It was a magical, one-of-a-kind New Haven night. New Haven ah-beetz can’t be beat!"

The whole endeavor could not have been done without "pizza guru," Colin M. Caplan.

Now, there's a film that documents what it took to pull off the world's biggest ah-beetz celebration.

"The Pizza Party" premieres at the New Haven Museum

Behind every world record is a little chaos. Attempting to cook and serve 10,000 pizza slices to 4,525 hungry pizza fanatics in three hours was nuts, but it worked. The New Haven Museum will welcome Caplan for the premiere of “The Pizza Party,” a documentary celebrating the world’s largest pizza party on the New Haven Green.

The screening, on Thursday, June 4 at 6 p.m., is part of NHM’s “Monthly Slice” series in conjunction with the exhibition, “Pronounced Ah-Beetz.”

Free with regular museum admission. Register here.

“The Pizza Party” serves up the deliciously stressful story of New Haven’s epic September 2025 “world’s biggest pizza bash.” Faced with mountains of rules, nonstop pressure, and the challenge of cooking and devouring all that pizza, the organizers, including Caplan, made history, and earned the city a Guinness World Records title for the “largest pizza party.”

Directed by Gorman Bechard (“Pizza A Love Story”), the film will be followed by a lively talk-back with Caplan featuring behind-the-scenes stories, pizza-party drama, and details that didn’t make the final cut. “The film offers a tasty look at the greatest party of all time,” Berchard says. “And, if you were there, you might just be in it!”

The “Pronounced Ah-Beetz” exhibition at NHM includes first-hand oral histories and pizza-related artifacts from personal collections, video footage adapted from the documentary and photographs. The exhibition’s title comes from the way many people mispronounce the word apizza, which originally grew out of the Italian la pizza. The exhibition will remain on view through October 2027.

About Colin Caplan

Caplan is an entrepreneur, architect, author, historian, educator and tour operator running “Taste of New Haven” food tours and events, Elm City Party Bike and Paddle Pub party boats, and tour operations in Florida. He is author of six books on New Haven history, including “Pizza in New Haven,” and a National Historic Register consultant. Previously he was a visiting professor at Wesleyan University. Caplan is also a film and media producer. His credits include the documentary “Pizza, A Love Story,” and “Slice of America.”

Caplan spearheaded declaring New Haven the Pizza Capital of the United States and making Connecticut “The Pizza State.” He continues to help build and raise his native Elm City through teaching students, researching and writing history and providing opportunities to communities, businesses and residents through grants and events. He also has been trying to make pizza the official state food of Connecticut. His latest endeavors include creating the Connecticut pizza license plates, holding the Guinness World Record title for “largest pizza party” in 2025 and co-curating the New Haven Museum exhibition, “Pronounced Ah-Beetz” at the New Haven Museum.

About the New Haven Museum

The New Haven Museum has been collecting, preserving and interpreting the history and heritage of Greater New Haven since its inception as the New Haven Colony Historical Society in 1862. Located in downtown New Haven at 114 Whitney Avenue, the Museum brings more than 375 years of New Haven history to life through its collections, exhibitions, programs and outreach. As a Blue Star Museum, the New Haven Museum offers the nation’s active-duty military personnel and their families, including National Guard and Reserve, free admission all year. For more information visit http://newhavenmuseum.org or @NewHavenMuseum or call 203-562-4183.