By: Lidia Evita, Staff Writer for World Liberty TV

New York BagelFest Returned with First-ever Growth Lab, a Lineup of Emerging Bagel Makers, an Industry Mixer, and Expanded Family Programming.

Uniting bakers, brands, food media, and fans for a weekend celebrating the iconic carb.

New York BagelFest, presented by King Arthur Baking Company, returned on Sunday, November 16th, 2025, at Citi Field, marking its largest and most expansive edition to date. Since its debut in 2019, the festival has evolved from a grassroots gathering of bagel lovers into the premier event for the bagel industry, drawing national media, culinary talent, suppliers, and thousands of attendees each year.

This year introduces two new companion events designed to support the business and cultural future of the bagel world: the BagelFest Growth Lab and the BagelFest Inner Circle Industry Mixer, both taking place on Saturday, November 15th, in New York City.

The BagelFest Growth Lab took place on Saturday, November 15, from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. at 120 Walker Street, 5th Floor, New York, NY, 10013. Designed as both an incubator and tasting experience, the Growth Lab highlights early-stage bagel makers traveling from across the United States and Canada to present their work to the public, media, and fellow industry pros.

Attendees sampled small-batch bagels from the next generation of bakers and take part in a live Q&A hosted by the Bread Bakers Guild of America, focused on the realities of starting and scaling a modern bagel business.

Ellie Gulick and Gray Cowan, co-owners of Van Buren Bagel, say “We are so excited to be part of the Growth Lab! For us, this is an incredible opportunity to connect with others in the bagel community, exchange ideas, and learn from those who have been in our shoes.”

Jake Rubin, Owner of Holey Dough & Co. echoes the sentiment: “I’m excited to connect with fellow bakers and industry veterans to learn from their experiences and apply that insight as I grow Holey Dough & Co. The Growth Lab is an incredible opportunity to learn, share, and push our craft forward.”

Immediately following the Growth Lab, the weekend continued with the Bagel Fest Inner Circle Industry Mixer from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. on the 6th Floor at the same location, 120 Walker Street.

The mixer is an evening of relaxed networking for bakery owners, food founders, culinary creatives, media, and industry professionals who are shaping the future of the bagel landscape. Guests had   the opportunity to connect with peers, share insights, form collaborations, and meet fellow makers ahead of the main festival at Citi Field the following day.

The mixer was created as a space for conversation, community, and exchange among those who work behind the scenes of the world’s most beloved carb.

Together, the Growth Lab and Industry Mixer form a new professional pillar for BagelFest weekend, designed to support the next generation of bagel entrepreneurs, while strengthening networks across the existing ecosystem of culinary innovators.

“The Growth Lab exists to spotlight rising bagel makers with the potential to shape the future of our industry. By giving them visibility and connecting them with mentors and seasoned professionals,” says BagelFest founder Sam Silverman. “We’re building a community that supports the next generation of bagel bakers around the world.

The full public festival took place on Sunday, November 16th, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Citi Field, in the Heineken Diamond Lounge (indoors).  It featured vendors, live judging, tastings, and the return of BagelFest’s signature competitions including Best of the Fest, Best Bagel, and Best of the Boroughs.

Judging for the 2025 competitions will be led by an expanded panel of experts, representing some of the most influential voices in food, baking, storytelling, and hospitality.

Silverman says, “Being an Expert Judge at BagelFest is no small task. Winning can redefine a business’s future—as it has for PopUp Bagels and Starship Bagel—so we’ve selected two dozen of the most respected voices in the industry to make the call. Their expertise, influence, and passion for this incredible food speak for themselves.”

This year’s judges included Einat Admony, Chef and Owner of Balaboosta & Moondog HiFi; Tim von Hollweg, Director of Operations at Russ & Daughters; Ali Rosen, Host of Potluck on NYC Life; food journalist Gabriella Gershenson; Morgan Carter, Food & Drink Editor at Time Out New York; content creator Dara Pollak; cookbook author Micah Siva; Leah Koenig, food writer and cookbook author; Kristine Borok, Chief Strategy & Advancement Officer at Hot Bread Kitchen; chef and content creator Tova Sterling; dough expert and creator Justin Shukat; Wai Chu, Education & Events Manager at the Bread Bakers Guild of America; Harvey Leeds, dough expert and content creator; writer Jason Lyons; content creator Julia Ain; editor and writer Tara Cox; Shannon Sarna, cookbook author and Chief of Staff to chef Dan Richer; Liz Alpern, Co-Founder of The Gefilteria and co-author of The Gefilte Manifesto; food writer Katie Workman; Jeffrey Yoskowitz, Co-Founder of The Gefilteria and co-author of The Gefilte Manifesto; Jeff Mao, Founder and Baker of Knead & Nosh; Rob MacKay, Director of the Queens Tourism Council; bagel ambassador and enthusiast Kate Lui; baking instructor Jonathan Frishtick; bakery consultant Reva Castillenti of Small Good Bakery; NYC bagel statistician Mike Varley; Chrissy Traore, CEO of See and Be Kitchen; activist, entrepreneur, and sports team owner Ari Ackerman; Scott Goodfriend, Chief Eating Officer at Ultimate Food Tours; writer Sean Keeley of It’s a Shanda; and Ryan Garson, real estate agent and content creator.

This year, the festival  expanded its family-friendly programming with a dedicated Kids’ Section, offering all-day bagel-themed arts and crafts led by Miss Pop Nails, along with multilingual storytelling sessions by children’s book author and Jewish food historian Arianna Brooks, who presented  readings of her book “My Mushy Matzah Ball” in the lead-up to the annual Bagel Rolling Contest.

With the addition of the Growth Lab and Industry Mixer, and a breadth of expert judges, the 2025 edition of BagelFest further strengthens its mission to celebrate and connect every layer of the bagel world. Public relation was handled by Olga González, founder and CEO of Pietra Communications.

2025 NEW YORK BAGELFEST AWARD WINNERS

Best Bagel (Breadhead Expert Judging Panel. Blind Tasting)

Winner: Starship Bagel (Dallas, TX)

Runner up: Fantzye Bagels (Kingston, NY)

3rd Place: Potchke Bagel (Knoxville, TN)

Best Bagel Sub-Categories

New York Style: Starship Bagel (Dallas, TX)

Sourdough: Fantzye Bagels (Kingston, NY)

Montreal Style: St-Viateur Bagel (Montreal)

People’s Choice Award:

Winner: Baltik’s Bagel (Richmond, VA)

Runner up: Curley’s Bagels (Queens)

3rd Place: Town Bagel (Long Island, NY)

Expert Judge Awards

Schmear of the Year:

Winner: Fantzye Bagels for their Charred Leek and Lemon Caper Schmear

Runner up: Starship Bagel for their Garam Masala Schmear

3rd Place: Oído x Olmo for their Sikil Pak Schmear (Mexico and New Haven, CT collab)

Most Creative:

Winner: Potchke Bagel (Knoxville, TN)

Runner up: Starship Bagel (Dallas, TX)

3rd Place: Oído x Olmo (Mexico and New Haven, CT)

Best Showmanship:

Winner: Starship Bagel (Dallas, TX)

Runner up: Emerald City Bagels (Atlanta, GA)

3rd Place: Tali’s Bagels (Honolulu, HI)

Best Bialy:

Winner: Potchke Bagel (Knoxville, TN)

Runner up: Tali’s Bagels (Honolulu, HI)

Attendee-Voted Awards

Best of the Boroughs:

Winner: Ess-a-Bagel (Manhattan)

Runner up: Utopia Bagels (Queens)

3rd Place: Bagizza (Manhattan)

Best Beyond the Boroughs:

Winner: Potchke Bagel (Knoxville, TN)

Runner up: Flour Moon Bagels (New Orleans, LA)

3rd Place: Fantzye Bagels (Kingston, NY)

Best International:

Winner: St-Viateur Bagel (Montreal)

Runner up: Bagel Belly (Copenhagen)

3rd Place: Si Si Bagels (Madrid)

Rising Star:

Winner: Tali’s Bagels (Honolulu, HI)

Runner up: Bagizza (Manhattan)

3rd Place: Backyard Bagel Co. (Seattle, WA)

Bagel Rolling World Champion

Tied for First Place: Alex Baka (Bagizza) and Vince Morena (St-Viateur Bagel)

Number Rolled: Each rolled 27 bagels in 1 minute

Lifetime Achievement Award

Presented to Absolute Bagels, honoring decades of craftsmanship, mentorship, innovation, and cultural impact in New York City’s bagel community. They will be awarded in absentia.

“Bagel makers play an important role. They feed people, create comfort, and build careers. But the work can feel lonely because the challenges are so specific. BagelFest brings the community together so no one has to navigate it alone, and so everyone can learn from those who’ve already lived it,” said BagelFest founder Sam Silverman.

About New York BagelFest: The New York BagelFest is the ultimate celebration of the city’s culture. Sample unlimited bagels and schmears from the best bakeries in the world, meet the makers, and experience bagel culture like never before with hands-on programming, one-of-a-kind competitions, and family-friendly activities for all ages. BagelFest is produced by BagelUp, the team behind NYC Bagel Tours and the Bagel Ambassador platform.

About King Arthur Baking Company: King Arthur Baking Company has been dedicated to spreading the joy of baking since its beginning in 1790. Proudly certified as a B Corp and 100% employee-owned, King Arthur stands as the premier baking resource for both home bakers and professionals. Committed to excellence and innovation, King Arthur delivers unparalleled quality flour and technical support to bakery, foodservice, pizzeria, and culinary customers, ensuring impeccable results with every bake. Explore products, support, and resources tailored to bakery and foodservice customers.

It was a great event, we had a pleasure of interviewing, BagelFest founder Sam Silverman see what he told us about the Bagel up Event. Also we had a pleasure meeting many more Bagel companies in attendance from all over the world, as well as tasting and sampling their bagels.

See much more in our World Liberty TV, Food Channels and Blogs by clicking here.