Calling all dessert and gelato lovers…
Did you know that the first ever Gelato Festival was held in Florence in 2010?
The celebration continues right here in California in from October 20 through October 22.
Now with the support of SIGEP and Carpigiani, the Gelato Festival America welcomes Gelato Artisans from around the world to compete with their special flavors, especially created for the Festival.
Their flavors, all of which are more healthy alternatives than every other frozen dessert, are made from fine, carefully selected ingredients blended in classic, bizarre and imaginative combinations. All flavors will be made using only spring water from Sedona provided by purelysedona.com and fresh organic fruit and vegetables provided by westcentralfoodservice.com.
The winner will be chosen by two panels, each of which will account for 50% of the vote: a panel of technical experts composed of journalists, media members, and sector experts and a panel composed of all the members of the general public taking part in the Festival.
Here are the 10 competitors for the Gelato Festival in Santa Barbara:
1. Sicily Orange Sunrise by Maurizio Melani from Heladeria Véneta, in Spain. His limited-time flavor will feature Sicilian oranges.
2. Tropical Blast by Spin Mlynarik from Black Market Gelato in Hollywood, CA, will be a fresh tropical flavour.
3. Spicy Green Paradise by Mattia Ortelli from Gelato-go in Miami, FL, will bring a unique creation.
4. "Ode to Autumn" by Noël Knecht from Colibrì Gelato in San Clemente, CA, will capture all the warm and flavorful sensations of the autumn weather.
5. Blood Orange by Robert Sigona from Gelotti in Paterson, NJ.
6. Fresh Love by Bruno Couto de Matos from Frio Gostoso in Brazil.
7. Vegan Pink Pear & Ginger by Antonio Carrozza from Latteria Italiana in Miami, FL.
8. Shade of Rose by Salvatore Bonomo from Nonna Rosa in Los Angeles, CA.
9. Maíz Dulce Borracho by Marcello Mennone from Gelati Gioia in Tampa Bay, FL.
10. Roasted Green Tea with Crunchy Mango by Michele Brown from Brook Hollow in Dallas, TX.
The Gelato Festival will be held at the La Cumbre Plaza Mall in Santa Barbara. Everyone in attendance will be able to taste all the gelato and cast their vote for their favorite flavor. There will also be unique flavors by PreGel America and WhyGelato.com, authentic flavors by Carpigiani Gelato University and gastronomic sorbet by Sogno Toscano for everyone to sample.
A ticket to the festival is all-inclusive:
- Entry to the festival (One day per ticket)
- One sample of each competing flavor
- One sample of each unique flavor provided by partners
- Admission to the Gelato Classroom
- Participation in all contests and activities
- Voting for your favorite competing flavor
The event hours for the three-day Gelato Festival America Boulder are:
Friday, Sept. 29 \ 2pm-8pm – Saturday, Sept. 30 12pm-8pm – Sunday Oct. 1
12pm-7pm (Award Ceremony at 7pm) .
On Monday morning (October 23rd) All leftover food will be donated to the Santa Barbara Food Bank- http://foodbanksbc.org/
Other cities on the tour for 2017 are: Tucson and Scottsdale, AZ. Tickets are available online with discounts up to 10% in advance.
For more details and to purchase tickets, visit gelatofestivalamerica.com/ticket.
