Ice Cream Festival

Fun Austin summer festival! It was $ 10 for admission (kids under 8 free) and that gave you three tickets to exchange for samples. But your tickets online to avoid the lines in the blazing sun! But if you don’t buy online, make sure to bring cash to pay for admission (we had to use the ATM~ $$$ fees!).
There was plenty of different vendors to sample from and some samples were much more generous than others. We loved them all :) Amy’s Ice Cream was a favorite and we had to get a Ben & Jerry’s fix.
Get there early!!! The lines were pretty long for the more popular vendors.

This is a great event! I am a sucker for ice cream and so is my boyfriend, so we decided to try the ice cream festival out for the first time! It’s $ 10 for admission and you get 3 sample tickets each. Bluebell was there this year giving out unlimited treats without requiring tickets. We filled up on this first, which allowed us to be more selective with our sample tickets once our palate was quenched.
There were tons of vendors out there aside from ice cream. You could peruse crafts, dance to live music, build popsicle stick figures, and participate in ice cream competitions. We had fun just walking around and people watching, to be honest!
This is a family friendly event that’s great for all ages. If you don’t mind braving the heat and spending some time in crowds– definitely check this out!

It’s been a few weeks since this year’s Ice Cream Festival, but I still feel strongly about it so I thought I’d write a review.
I had friends in from out of town, and we had several things planned to do that day, so we didn’t get to the Ice Cream Festival until two hours before it was scheduled to end. We each paid our $ 10 entry fee in exchange for three sample tickets.
Once inside the gate we found out that only two vendors were still handing out samples. (I think all the other vendors had run out.) The two vendors who were still in business had lots of people waiting in line. We wanted to get an idea of how long it would take to get to the front of the line so we asked some of the people near the front of the line, and they had been in line for over an hour. That wasn’t going to work with our schedule (we had tickets for the Tower Tour at UT in an hour and a half).
I felt really bad that my friends (a family of three) had just spent $ 30 for nothing, so I went back to the table where we had just bought our tickets and found the same lady who had taken our money. I explained that once inside we found out that there were only two vendors giving samples, and the wait would be an hour, and we didn’t have that much time. I politely asked if she would please refund our money as we had gotten no benefit for the price, and even had all our sample tickets that we could give back to her. She refused saying she didn’t have that authority. The proceeds from the Ice Cream Festival go to charity, so it wasn’t a total waste of money. But it left us feeling disappointed if not downright misled and cheated.
The organizers of this event need to either require the vendors to bring enough ice cream to last through the published hours of the festival, or put a sign at the entrance indicating how many vendors are still giving samples so the paying public can make an informed decision before paying admission.
Of all the things we did that weekend, the Ice Cream Festival was the only one that reflected poorly on Austin.

The event is so very a disappointment… Ten for admission with a couple «samples»… Nothing else there of real interest…

Over priced, & unorganized. The best part about the festival was the free bluebell!!! but thats it… The bands were cute… Over priced food TRUCK (meaning 1!!!) the whole pavillion was catered to tables full of popsicle crafts… in which this space couldve been used more wisley to entertain the lil ones; but instead they had over priced rides and inflatables you had to pay for. a dollar to go down an inflatable slide is robbery! The rides were dead because no parents wanted to pay those outrageous prices… I drove from San Antonio to attend this event & I’ll be back next year with hopeful thoughts.

I was really debating about going because the temperature was going to be 102 degrees. I am so glad we went! My husband said this was the first year they had it at this location. I hope they have it here again. I liked that there were a lot of shaded areas.
Since we have a toddler, we went in the morning. The 12-​and-​under crowd had a strong presence during that time. I guess a lot of parents wanted to get there early too.
We had a total of six free ice cream tickets, and that was plenty. Someone offered us their last ticket while we were in line to use our last ticket, and we declined. If you have more adults than kids (under 12 was free, so they didn’t get ice cream tickets) in your group, you’ll have plenty of ice cream.
The giant pavilion where the bands played was perfect for shade. It was big enough that we did not have any trouble finding a place to sit. I was really grateful for that, because that was one of my big concerns.
I thought the live animal area was awesome. It was one large fenced area with all the animals in it. I saw goats of all sizes, deer, a giant turtle, and a water buffalo (how weird!) all hanging out in harmony. I was worried the turtle would get trampled by the deer or water buffalo, but he seemed chilled, like he’s done this before.
The one thing that could be improved for next year is the kids’ activities. There wasn’t much for young toddlers. My daughter almost rode the pony ride, but got scared at the last minute. Other than that, there was a bouncy house, bouncy slides, a small Ferris wheel that was being repaired, and a ride where you sit in an enclosed basket and it swings you around. She was too young for all of it. Maybe some rides for children under 36 inches would be nice. My daughter likes those rides that just go around in circles. No sudden movements. There were a lot of young toddlers there, so I think other parents would have appreciated some super calm rides too. Of course by next year, my daughter will be able to go on bigger rides, but that’s okay. There should still be calm rides, so that there is something for everyone.
All in all, it was pretty fun and I would recommend it. My favorite two stops were Blue Bell Ice Cream and Rita’s Italian Ice. The lines were not bad at all, but like I said, we were there at opening and left by noon.

Currently seeking a way to entertain the kids and cool down from the Texas heat ! Score on both sides! We were given a wristband and tickets on our way to the park so that definitely was a plus. We invested in a Wild Bill’s mug which is definitely worth it just because if we ever run into them more good old fashioned soda for $ 5. The mug was $ 12 and we received free refills throughout the festival. Bluebell was there handing out free treats, everyone else either took tickets or cash. Not an issue and the ballon guy who I will definitely be looking up made an awesome replica of a Popsicle from a balloon of course. Very friendly and cute. They also had a Popsicle building station which was in the shade and a great downtime from the crowds. I will definitely be on the lookout for many of the vendors. A great way to experience the taste of ice treats. They also had treats for the dogs. Loved it !!

CASH ONLY, but ATMs are available.
There is not much you can do about the blazing sun, but $ 10 will get you a wristband and three tickets to grab three scoops of ice cream, but you might be wanting more, so it is a good idea to grab a couple more tickets.
Be aware that there are long lines and a lot of people, so if you don’t have disciplined young children or dogs, please do NOT bring them. Children and dogs can only walk and take the heat so much. I saw a lot of people struggle to move their stroller through crowds all day.
There are dog droppings everywhere! I don’t know why people bring them if they are not going to pick up after them. I also saw a bunch of dogs almost attack each other as well. I would not want to pick up after my dog or wrestle him away from another dog while trying to balance my ice cream.
Because of this, I’m pretty sure I won’t be returning, but it is worth going to once.

My friend from out of town was visiting and on a hot summer Austin day, there was nothing better than to taste some cold treats while melting in the sunshine. The entrance fee was $ 10, but you received several tasting tickets for the booths other than the 2 that were giving away free unlimited scoops (Blue Bell and The melting cone). Plus, if you had kids there were several blow up toys that looked awesome, which appeared to be at no additional charge. The blow up zip line looked awesome, I was wishing I was a kid again. They also had a large covered area with live music and tables set up with popsicle sticks for the kiddies to create their wooden creations. The covered area was also a nice place to sit and escape the rays. I loved being able to sample all the many different local ice cream joints, ones I hadn’t even heard of before. I couldn’t even use all my tickets it was just too much ice cream! I personally felt like the money was worth the price overall. I ended up having a great time, and would definitely go again next year.

I am not an ice cream lover but, it was my friends bday and she wanted to go.
The line to purchase your $ 10.00 ticket moved swiftly. We showed up at around 2:30 p.m. and it was still really crowded! The ticket price got you tickets to exchange for free ice cream however, that didn’t include all the vendors. There was only two or three that you could get their free ice cream and you better believe you were going to stand in line for it.
My friend stood in line for two different places and decided to purchase some ice cream too. I was happy with the free fan from an insurance company and the shade provided by a large tree. Blue Bell was at the entrance handing out ice cream sandwiches and ice cream cups.
I really liked the Austin vibe and would probably go again. They also had Popsicle stick crafts under the pavilion and live music. The band playing wasn’t really family friendly I didn’t think and neither was her weird hip gyrating but, I digress.
I had the best fresh squeezed lemonade and it was about $ 3.50 which I think is normal for a fare type event. They also had food, sno cones and smoothies so, there was really something for everyone!
We gave away the rest of our unused tickets on the way out to some kids coming in! Good Karma points added!

No one has said anything about the Ice Cream Festival 2013, so maybe I’m on the wrong event. What the heck.
The Ice Cream Festival 2013 was really impressive. I was expecting something hot with not too much to do, but my friends and I gave it a shot anyway.
It’s $ 10 entrance, but with that you get access to as much Blue Bell and The Melting Cone ice cream as you want, plus a free ice cream bar at the entrance, plus 3 free tickets that get you 3 free ice creams from whatever trailers you want. As far as I could tell, Rita’s was the only place that was doing the «$ 1 off with a ticket (so it was still $ 3 for a sample)» nonsense. Everyone else was giving the samples away as long as you had a ticket.
I managed to snarf down ice cream from Cool Haus, Amy’s Ice Cream, The Melting Cone, Good Pop, Ice Cream Social, and another place I forgot the name of, plus a free ice cream at the entrance. A nice couple had too many tickets and were giving some away, so we managed to snag a few extra ice creams free of charge. The samples were actually pretty big, and by the time I was on my 4^th one my stomach was starting to get a little pissy, but I was expecting that.
There was live music, a petting zoo, face painting, and some other things for kids to entertain themselves with. I was really impressed with the amount of vendors and how quickly the lines moved. The lines looked really long but it didn’t take long to get to the front. There was also enough shade to cool off. All in all, it was a great time, and totally worth the $ 10.

I was one of the lucky ones and was a VIP after winning entrance via facebook. Since we were a party of three I only had to pay for one of us to gain entrance, thankfully. I can say there were good points and bad points to the short time we were there.
Perks:
1. Being VIP gave us access to free food and drink next to the stage where the bands were playing. No line, just full access to some BBQue, pizza, snack items and ice cold soda (and beer if you wanted). Not to mention we received these cool passes that my husband and I got a kick out of doing our Waynes World impersionation by holding up the passes ever chance we got.
2. No charge for parking. You had to fight to find a spot and be willing to walk, but it was free.
Cons:
1. Why in August? Really, come on. I get the ice cream idea on a hot summer day, but damn… I was melting as fast as the ice cream was.
2. First thing in the gate is a bunch of companies jammed up together which caused it to bottle neck which is not a good way to start out after 20 seconds of walking in.
3. They put the Amy’s Ice cream tasting at the end of the vendor line. So if you were able to make it past the companies trying to get your attention, then you were coming to a complete stop for the lines to get your «taste» of the four flavors Amy’s was offering.
4. Did Cool Haus piss someone off? There they were way in the back melting in the hot August sun with no foot traffic around them. I know… its cause they were asking full price for their product so no up front placement for them. (we remembered them from the gypsy trailer festival from last year)
Look, I could keep going on and on about the cons, but honestly everyone else has said it best in there reviews for the event. I think what made it ok for us is that we had two free VIP tickets. Had we spent $ 10.00 a person to get in I don’t honestly think there would have been a «Perks» section in my review. It was hot. It was very VERY crowded. I fought to get one taste of the free ice cream that was hyped. The advertised hype was just that. I guess we thought we had the golden ticket and would be walking through Wonkas magical garden. Save your money and headaches next year, just go out to have ice cream beat the heat and the crowds. I agree with one other post… there is no way anyone ever goes to this twice.

I really, really wanted to like this event. Instead it inspired me to sign up for a Unilocal account just so I can write about how I cannot believe this thing is in its 6^th year; there is no way anyone ever goes to this twice.
If you want a good story to tell for years to come about how once you were outrageously ripped off, go here.
The Austin Ice Cream Festival is advertised as $ 10 to get in with free ice cream and lots of fun stuff for the kiddos. We scoured their website before attending and that’s the impression we were given from it, too. Sounds great!
The truth?
I just paid $ 10 for a Dixie cup of ice cream and a sunburn.
Nearly EVERYTHING inside costs money — all the bounce houses, pony rides, petting zoos, etc. for the kids range from $ 3 to $ 5… and worse, so does the ice cream from at least half the vendors!
The handful of vendors actually giving away free ice cream have insanely long lines, and when you finally get to the front you have a choice of 2 – 3 standard flavors and then you try not to gasp in exhausted dismay when you’re handed a Dixie cup with about 2.5 Tbsp of ice cream. Woohoo.
If I’d known what I was getting in for, I might not be so exasperated: if you walk in knowing you’ll spend $ 50 to have any fun, fine, if that’s how you want to spend your day. But luring me in thinking I’ll spend $ 20 to get my family in and spend a few fun hours that way, and then realizing I have to spend twice that much to actually eat ice cream or let my kids have any fun at all? What a colossal bait and switch.
It should have been a big warning sign, I suppose, when we got to the ticket line and under the printed price on the signs, the organizers had added in marker: «No Refunds». I can’t even fathom how many people asked for their money back the instant they got inside and looked around.
Wow. Just… wow.

I understand why they say no refunds ! Dont waste your money and time you get 2 $ of free ice cream and you have to wait like a begger Austin scoops Amy’s and melting cone everyone else charges yeah they have games and animal petting zoo for the kiddos but you pay again!! but not to impressed. Upon enterance your solicited by all kinds of companies not a happy camper next time they should have a free event and have everyone pay for ice cream it’s like the organizers are double dunking the chip grrrr epic fail never again!

Judging from the stellar reviews the Ice Cream Festival earned last year, I was a bit wary when my good friend invited me to attend with her and her three year old tot. But I’m glad I went and I encourage others (even those without munchkins) to check it out next year.
PROS:
–All the ice cream you could want.
–Non-​dairy ice cream available for non-​dairy lovers.
–Inflatable games and «rides» for tykes of most young ages.
–A bit of shopping by way of local artists.
–A magic show, free balloons, face painting, etc. to keep ‘em happy.
–Fenced off. Minimizes some worry…
CONS:
–Really expensive if you have more than two adults or more than one kid that wants to do… well, anything while they’re there. The $ 10 for grown-​ups was already a bit steep but you figure it’s cool if the kids are free, right? Well, all the inflatable fun requires tickets… tickets which are $ 1 each. So, averaging about 2 tickets per ride with around 6 rides, you’re dishing out a lot of mula if you choose to let your kid do the whole shebang.
–Hard for the parents to mingle. This is minor but I think it’d be neat if there was an area the parents could congregate for a moment or something that integrated groups. I’m sure with a ton of single parents out there or couples looking for their next couple to hang out with, it would be well received.
If you’ve got a small family and are aware of the price tag, get there early for shorter lines and cooler temps — I think you’ll enjoy it!

First off, I love ice cream. My wife loves ice cream. So, how do you go wrong w/​an ice cream festival? We were both very excited. Showed up & avoided the $ 7 parking fee (@ the Capital Parking Garage) via metered parking (was Sunday). After paying $ 5/​person to get in, it took about 2 minutes for my worst fears to be realized… The Festival just sucks. Previous reviews are still right on the money. The only cool thing about the ½ hour we spent there was The Aviators. This band is entirely made up of kids (maybe like 12 or 13 years old) & they rocked! Mostly sang Classic Rock songs, but both the wife & I were impressed.
Anyway, we stayed for about 25 minutes, each ate 3 $ 1 ice cream snacks, then gave our wristbands to familes w/​kids that were coming in as we left.
— $ 5 charge to get in is just ridiculous.
— $ 1 ice cream «specials» were appx 2 to 3 bites each.
— It’s the middle of the August afternoon, very little shade, the sun blazing down on you, & 1 «fest» tent w/​swamp coolers for everyone to mill around in.
I’m sorry, Doug L & other festival organizers, but it just really was a terrible experience. I love the fact that you are trying to celebrate one of my favorite consumables, but I will never come back to another ice cream festival. Sorry.

Ice Cream Festival + Hot Texas Summer seemed like a recipe for the perfect Saturday afternoon (8÷15÷09), but what a disappointment! I absolutely love ice cream and heard about the festival on the radio and through the chronicle, but it was the worst festival ever.
$ 5 admission was exorbitant considering that it was very unclear what the $ 5 allowed you to do inside since everything inside is extra — ice cream, kids activities, contest entry, etc.
Once you enter you are bombarded by the sponsors (which must not have given much money this year) before you arrive at the ice cream trucks. A tasting portion (typically the size of one or two bites) costs $ 1, with normal portions starting around $ 3. Lines are long and out in the sun, and vendors run out of flavors (by 2 pm the italian ice shop had run out of mango and piña colada). Choices of ice cream were also primarily popular shops such as Amy’s plus 2 – 3 others, but by no means expansive nor very creative.
The live entertainment was mediocre at best so we had no interest in staying around to listen to them. Activities were also limited — a few for kids (popsicle stick racing, a trampoline-​like thing) and all cost extra.
To improve the festival, I would suggest lowering the price of admission and/​or encouraging sponsors to cover certain activities that would be available for free. The popsicle stick building was ok, but maybe a sponsor for the flavor competition that would allow people to taste some of the entrants? Maybe a demonstration of how ice cream is made? A booth to sell ice cream makers could help fund some of the festival and would probably be quite successful.
Also, there was a clear lack of toppings and sundae options available by vendors — no banana split or mix-​ins in sight. A big opportunity for next year.