Fest of Frozen Treats
The scoop on the Austin Ice Cream Festival: Free Blue Bell, sweet local vendors and more
To help us all chill out, the annual Austin Ice Cream Festival returns to Fiesta Gardens on Saturday, August 9. A festival must for all families (and anyone with a sweet tooth, really), the event boasts one of the most comprehensive lineups of local frozen dessert purveyors — and we're not just talking ice cream.
This year’s featured vendors include Amy’s Ice Creams, Austin Scoops, Good Pops, NadaMoo, Rita’s Water Ice, The Melting Cone, Weezie’s Frozen Custard and Yeti Frozen Custard. Feel like having some lunch with your dessert? Heros Gyros, Double Trouble BBQ and Wild Bill’s Old Fashioned Soda will also be on hand.
The eighth annual Austin Ice Cream Festival offers more than just sampling ice cream until you get a brain freeze. Competitions include a homemade ice cream making contest, an ice cream eating contest (brain freeze guaranteed), a popsicle stick sculpture contest and the annual “You Scream Ice Cream” competition. More information on the contests can be found on the festival's website. Other kid-friendly activities include bounce houses, a petting zoo and live music all day long.
Admission is free for kids ages 8 and under and $10 for everyone else. The admission price includes three tickets that can be redeemed for samples from local vendors. As a bonus, Blue Bell will serve free ice cream — no ticket needed — until it runs out. Now that's a pretty sweet deal.