Bassetts Ice Cream and eight local ice cream artisans unite for the coolest festival of the summer
PHILADELPHIA – Reading Terminal Market will once again host one of the largest ice cream festivals in America on Filbert Street this summer. In partnership with Bassetts Ice Cream, the Ice Cream Festival on Filbert St. will take place on Saturday, August 15, from 12 p.m. – 4 p.m. Bassetts will be joined by top Philadelphia ice cream artisans and Reading Terminal merchants serving up sweet treats outside on the 1100 block of Filbert Street as well as throughout the Market. Festivities include ice cream eating contests, family-friendly fun, sweet treat specials, live entertainment, and more.
Philadelphia ice cream favorites including Milk Jawn, Tubby Robot, Siddiq’s Water Ice, and more (full list below) will be outside on Filbert St. selling their sweet treats alongside Ice Cream Festival activities such as:
- Balloon twisting
- Face painting
- Kids crafts
- DJ entertainment
- A visit from Reading Terminal Market’s mascot, Philbert
Additionally, guests are invited to compete in Reading Terminal’s World Championship Ice Cream Eating Contest. The competition includes three rounds of ice cream eating contests. Winners from each round will participate in a sundae-making contest. The overall winner, determined by the judges, will receive the highly coveted World Championship Belt.
Guests can enter the event for free; all ice cream treats are available for purchase. Inside the market, select merchants will participate with special menu items for the day (full list below).
Participating Ice Cream Artisans:
Bassetts Ice Cream – a selection of scoop flavors with full menu available inside
Cloud Cups – handcrafted, artisan gelato
Dreams Ice Cream Factory – ice cream cones and sundaes
Hangry Bear – hard dipped ice cream and soft pretzel ice cream sandwiches
Irv’s Ice Cream – small batch, premium ice cream
Mango Hut – tropical sorbet
Milk Jawn – small batch, premium ice cream
Siddiq’s Water Ice – real fruit water ice
Tubby Robot – ice cream hoagies
Merchant Specials (as of July 16):
Chef Beth’s Kitchen – affogato in a Center City Pretzel soft pretzel cup; “Make It Dirty Turkey Salad” savory ice cream cone; fountain soda ice cream floats
El Merkury – horchata cream
The Famous 4th Street Cookie Co. – mini ice cream cookie sandwich flights; build-your-own ice cream sandwich
Fox and Son Fair Foods – peach cobbler funnel cake with vanilla ice cream
Flying Monkey Bakery – ice cream sundae cupcakes; brownie sundae
LUHV Vegan Deli – warm vegan brownie with vegan vanilla ice cream
Main Squeeze Acai Bowls and Salads – acai ice cream bowl
Market Bakery – ice cream croissant; ice cream bagel
Molly Malloy’s – mango apricot prosecco sorbet; cookies and cream pop-tart
Pennsylvania Libations – boozy affogato
Sweet Nina’s – frozen banana pudding
Tambayan – ube and mango ice cream; ube French toast with ube ice cream
Wilt’s Chocolate Smothered Berries – smothered sundae
For the most up-to-date information, please visit https://readingterminalmarket.org/event/ice-cream-festival/.
About Reading Terminal Market
One of America’s largest and oldest public markets, the Reading Terminal Market serves as a public trust providing a venue for independent local businesses to showcase the Philadelphia region’s culinary bounty and cultural diversity. Housed since 1893 in a National Historic Landmark building, the Market offers an incredible selection of farm fresh produce, meats and poultry, plus the finest seafood, cheeses, baked goods, confections, flowers, jewelry and crafts. The Market is managed by a not-for-profit as a tenant of the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority, which has owned the historic Reading Terminal since 1990. In 2014, the American Planning Association named Reading Terminal Market as one of the 10 Great Public Spaces in America and in 2021 and 2022 the Market was voted Best Public Market by USA Today’s 10Best.
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