Huge Ice Cream Festival Is Taking Over The St. Pete Pier
Can you name a better way to beat the summer heat? The St. Pete Pier will be taken over later this month with the 3rd annual Tampa Bay Ice Cream festival. And the best part is… It’s FREE ADMISSION!
Clear your calendar for July 21st and head to Spa Beach Park at the St. Pete Pier for this sweet celebration. Organizers picked the perfect day for this event since July 21st is National Ice Cream Day! Dozens of local ice cream vendors will be lined up for you to try and determine who has the best ice cream in Tampa Bay.
Related: Review: Trying The Most EXPENSIVE Ice Cream In Tampa
Some vendors you can expect to see at the Tampa Bay Ice Cream Festival are: Astro Craft Ice Cream, Carousel’s, Frios Pops, Kona Ice, Uncle Louie G, Sweet Island Snow, Happy’s Ice Cream, Great Heights Creamery, Whit’s Frozen Custard, The Hyppo, Lava Ice Shop, and MORE!
Last year, the judges winner of best ice cream was Whit’s Frozen Custard. Lava Ice Shop came in 2nd and Astro Craft Ice Cream took 3rd place! The audience seemed to love Great Heights Creamery the most. So be sure to stop at these vendors first, before they sell out!
Some Things To Know Before You Go To The Tampa Bay Ice Cream Festival:
- The event is free and open to the public but ice cream and any other products are available for purchase from vendors.
- You can find parking at the St. Pete Pier for $2.50/hour for up to 6 hours. Or you can park all day at the Sundial Garage, which is only 2 blocks away from the pier.
- The event will happen rain or shine, so don’t let any summer storms stop you!
- You can bring dogs, as long as they are leashed. It’s also recommended to keep an eye on your pup as they’ll also be tempted to try these sweet treats that may not be good for them.
For more info, click here!
The 5 New Summer Publix Ice Cream Flavors I've Gotta Try
#5: Cold Brew Cookies and Crème
This one doesn’t take me back to my childhood so much like the others do. I didn’t become a coffee drinker until way late in life. It started when I was a morning guy on the radio in California. That caffeine kick was a necessity when I had to be up every morning at 5. A mashup with chocolate sounds good to me. Publix describes this one as “cold brew coffee flavored ice cream with crème filled chocolate cookie pieces throughout.” So is it ok to eat this one first thing in the morning? Asking for a fri… me, asking for me.
#4: Marry Me Strawberry
I didn’t get a chance to get over to Plant City for the Florida Strawberry Festival this year. So this will have to do. Publix describes it as “strawberry flavored ice cream with ribbons of strawberry flavored sauce, studded with pieces of white chocolate flavored strawberry pecan bark.” Now I mentioned I’m not a big pecans fan. But I’ll still take this one for a spin for sure.
#3: Buckeyes & Fudge
Any dessert with peanut butter and chocolate is an instant yes for me. I’m Team Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups all the way. This one isn’t affiliated with the candy, but it sounds like the ice cream equivalent to me. Publix describes it as “peanut butter ice cream loaded with chocolatey covered peanut butter buckeye candies and swirls of thick fudge.” I’m 100% in.
#2: Chocolate Cookie Quarry
The ice cream truck menu only needed one thing to make me happy as a kid. Ice cream sandwiches. As simple as they are, that’s what summer tastes like to me. So I’m way into this one. Publix describes it as “chocolate ice cream with decadent chocolate cookie crumb swirls and chunks of flavored chocolate sandwich cookies.”
#1: Lemon Berry Bliss
You probably heard me talk about this one on the show today. This one’s got my name all over it. I love lemon flavored desserts. And being a kid from Maine, blueberries have always been a part of my life. Blueberry muffins, blueberry pancakes, I’ll even buy blueberry coffee when I see it. So to see these 2 flavors together? Psh. No brainer. I’m all in. Publix describes it as lemon crème flavored ice cream with lemonade flavored flakes and blueberry flavored swirls.
