It's that time of year again for the good folks at Austin's favorite NY-style pizza joint, Home Slice Pizza, to host their annual Carnival-O-Pizza: an all-day celebration of live music, carnival games, raffle prizes and food contests!

Every year, the South Congress restaurant's popularity grows, which means the carnival keeps getting bigger and better as well. This year includes performances by swinging crooners The Love Leighs, kid-friendly rapper Big Don and dance troupe Little Stolen Moments. And again this year, the 40-plus person Minor Mishap Marching Band will also be forming a grand parade through the midway during the day.

The food-related contests are the major draw at the carnival, and this year is no different. Civilians are welcome to compete against local pizza chefs in the pizza box folding contest, the pizza dough tossing contest and the half-hour pizza eating contest. If 30 minutes of endorsed gluttony sounds like heaven to you, you'll want to sign up on the website right away.

Perhaps the most infamous event at the Carnival, though, is the Hands On An Eggplant Sub contest, where competitors try to outlast one another by staying on their feet with their hands on an otherwise-delicious giant sandwich. The prize: free Home Slice pizza for the next year. Thinking about it, that could mean a savings of well over the price of a new car. Last year, the competition was pretty slight, so this could well be your year to win...

Once more, all of the proceeds raised from the raffle ticket sales and the silent auction will be donated to The Austin Bat Cave, the nonprofit creative writing and tutoring center that promotes an early love of reading and writing in Austin area youth.

Raffle prizes include stays at Hotel Saint Cecilia and Hotel San Jose, an authentic Dublin Bottlingworks belt drive bicycle, and the exclusive right to reserve a table at Home Slice any night of the week. Raffle tickets are just $5 apiece and there is no limit to how many you can buy.

If it sounds like the best way you can possibly spend your Saturday afternoon and evening, you're probably right. Come grab a slice and wish Home Slice a happy birthday!