The New Castle County Ice Cream Festival at Rockwod Park will return on June 27 and 28
The annual festival, produced by Barry’s Events and sponsored by New Castle County government, will feature at least a dozen ice cream vendors, a selection of sandwiches and snacks, two entertainment stages, lots of fun for kids of all ages and Delaware’s first “Drone Zone,” with remote-controlled devices soaring overhead.
Rockwood’s “Best Sundae on Sunday” competition, featured last year on an episode of the Food Network’s “Eating America” series, will return, with the “Moo Crew” from the University of Delaware’s UDairy Creamery defending its championship.
The summer kickoff celebration, named last year by USA Today as one of the nation’s top ten food festivals, is “Delaware’s largest family picnic,” producer Barry Schlecker says, with free admission for children 12 and under accompanied by an adult, as well as family-friendly prices for all food, and activities to keep families at the park all day long.
The festival has been rebranded this year, changing its name from “Old Fashioned Ice Cream Festival at Rockwood Park” to “New Castle County Ice Cream Festival at Rockwood Park,” to better emphasize its prominence as an entertaining and social event for residents of New Castle County and nearby areas, according to a release.
“The Ice Cream Festival is definitely the premier event that we hold each summer,” says New Castle County Executive Tom Gordon. “It is a major draw for residents and visitors alike, and it’s a great way to show off what an asset Rockwood is.”
Participating dairies and ice cream vendors include: UDairy Creamery, the Ice Cream Shoppe (second place in the 2014 Best Sundae contest), Sweet Lucy’s (third place last year), plus returnees Caffe Gelato, HyPoint Farms, Kilby Cream, Tocumbo and Cajun-Sno, and four newcomers from Pennsylvania, Yeungling’s Ice Cream, Little Baby’s Ice Cream, iSwich Gourmet and Punk’d Pineapple, as well as one from New Jersey, Battiato Farms Strawberry Milkshakes. Little Baby’s and Punk’d Pineapple offer lactose-free ice creams and Punk’d Pineapple has vegan offerings as well. iSwich Gourmet says its ice cream is made without any preservatives.
In addition to the ice cream vendors, festival visitors will be able to choose from many food options – burgers, ribs, cheesesteak, seafood, Mexican, Greek, Italian, Polish, Cajun and vegetarian, plus egg rolls, baked goods, water ice and food trucks.
The expanded Children’s Zone will have its own entertainment stage, face painting, interactive activities, rides and games. Live animals, trapeze artists, stilt walkers and jugglers will be part of the festivities.
The Music Meadow all feature diverse sounds, with a different group performing every hour. .
Main Street Rockwood will feature more than 50 local businesses, including crafters, artists and retailers, as well as a number of nonprofit organizations. Another 20 businesses will be sharing tent space. In conjunction with New Castle County’s “Buy from Your Neighbor” program, the Ice Cream Festival promotes purchasing goods and services from locally owned and operated businesses.
“Bring your own blanket and plan to stay all day long,” Schlecker says.
For an updated schedule of all performances and a list of festival participants, go to rockwoodicecream.com
Festival hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, June 27, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, June 28. Admission is $5 for adults, with children 12 and under and accompanied by an adult admitted for free. Free shuttle bus service will be provided between Rockwood and parking lots at Merchants Square, Mount Pleasant High School and the Rockwood Office Park. The festival is dog-friendly. Friendly dogs on leashes are welcome at the festival and on shuttle buses.
