Chicago Luxury Ice Cream Festival [now 7/30 & 7/31]

Chicago Luxury Ice Cream Festival,
2nd Annual Festival
Wednesday, June 2nd - Friday, June 4th
Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
2430 N. Cannon Drive
Chicago, IL 60614

The 2nd Annual Chicago Luxury Ice Cream Festival
Amidst the irresistible charm that is Chicago – where world-class art and architecture are side by side with legendary culture and cuisine – we are proud to bring you a gourmet festival of the coolest proportions. The Chicago Luxury Ice Cream Festival will re-open its doors in the Windy City.

We're not referring to your garden-variety, frozen dessert concoctions. We're talking about decadent masterpieces bursting with flavor, dreamed up by some of Chicago's most exciting pastry chefs.

A gourmet event of pure goodness
The Chicago Luxury Ice Cream Festival pays homage to the micro-creamery, pastry chefs, chocolatiers and artisan suppliers. No bowl is left unturned, as the Festival offers something for every palate, whether you're an ice cream purist, the head chef of your household, or just a lover of good food.

An affordable luxury, indeed
For $25, you'll indulge in some truly extraordinary and some never-before-tasted ice cream creations. It promises to be a great weekend that's sure to take the cake.

• Grand tasting of amazing and rare ice creams
• Live demonstrations & workshops
• The Great Chicago Brain Freeze - a delicious chef competition where you get the chance to vote for the winners and taste the results.

Cathy,

I didn't see any indication on the website about the times of the festival. I assume that this is an evening event, but your post (and the website) also indicates that this is a weekend event, but it seems to be scheduled from Wednesday to Friday.

Hi,

I don't know more about this event then what you see. I had heard about it the other night, then checked to find it is now.

If you happen to learn more, please update.

Regards,

I was at the museum for a meeting last night at 5:00 and there was no festival going on yet...

I called the Notebaert Museum, and the event has been canceled or postponed until late July (perhaps). It is not being held this week.

It appears that the Chicago Luxury Ice Cream Festival will take place this weekend (Friday July 30 and Saturday July 31 from 7-10 p.m.) at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum (2430 N. Cannon Drive).

Here is the buzz (16 micro-creameries and 7 chefs) from the website: http://www.chicagoicecreamfestival.com/festival.html

The 2nd Annual Chicago Luxury Ice Cream Festival
Amidst the irresistible charm that is Chicago – where world-class art and architecture are side by side with legendary culture and cuisine – we are proud to bring you a gourmet festival of the coolest proportions. The Chicago Luxury Ice Cream Festival will re-open its doors in the Windy City.

We're not referring to your garden-variety, frozen dessert concoctions. We're talking about decadent masterpieces bursting with flavor, dreamed up by some of Chicago's most exciting pastry chefs.

A gourmet event of pure goodness
The Chicago Luxury Ice Cream Festival pays homage to the micro-creamery, pastry chefs, chocolatiers and artisan suppliers. No bowl is left unturned, as the Festival offers something for every palate, whether you're an ice cream purist, the head chef of your household, or just a lover of good food.

An affordable luxury, indeed
For $25, you'll indulge in some truly extraordinary and some never-before-tasted ice cream creations. It promises to be a great weekend that's sure to take the cake.

• Grand tasting of amazing and rare ice creams
• Live demonstrations & workshops
• The Great Chicago Brain Freeze - a delicious chef competition where you get the chance to vote for the winners and taste the results.

I went last night and this thing was a pretty big disappointment. 23 ice cream producers were promised but there were only about 12 there. None of the 5 chefs were there (nor, more importantly, were their ice creams). Also missing were Black Dog Gelato, Shawn Michelle's and a host of others.

On the bright side, the lines moved quickly with exception of Nice Cream, which required people to sit down and eat four tasting potions of about a teaspoon each. There was also Edwardo's pizza, Fiji water and wine from somewhere I didn't pay attention to.

Not surprisingly due to only half the promised vendors being there, some purveyors started to run out of ice cream at 8:30, when the event was only halfway over.

I've heard rumors that there was more there on Friday night, but I have no way of knowing if that's true.

Still, promising 23 and delivering half as many is pretty ridiculous. I have no plans to return to this event.

According the updated website only 16 purveyors were promised, but still 12 of 16 is not so great. And with no chefs present, it seemed as if the organizers couldn't get their act together. It is too bad because it was a good idea.

But at least running out of ice cream does shorten the lines.

I think somebody should put together a Pork and Ice Cream Festival.

Pie Lady wrote:I think somebody should put together a Pork and Ice Cream Festival.

They Have

stevez wrote:

Pie Lady wrote:I think somebody should put together a Pork and Ice Cream Festival.

They Have

I stand corrected!

GAF wrote:According the updated website only 16 purveyors were promised, but still 12 of 16 is not so great. And with no chefs present, it seemed as if the organizers couldn't get their act together. It is too bad because it was a good idea.

But at least running out of ice cream does shorten the lines.

My understanding was the 7 chefs were to be making ice cream for the event so I was including them in the 23. I was actually most excited about them as they'd be putting out ice creams I'd be much less likely to get elsewhere.

Also, of the ones that were there, a couple were different from ones on the website.

I agree that it's a great idea. After two consecutive failed efforts, the guy putting it together ought to let someone else take the idea and run with it. Or at least bring in some professional help.

MarlaCollins'Husband wrote:I agree that it's a great idea. After two consecutive failed efforts, the guy putting it together ought to let someone else take the idea and run with it. Or at least bring in some professional help.

My wife went to the one last year. She said it was so badly run and so completely mis-advertised that the only way she'd go again was if she was sure that different people were running it. This doesn't sound like it was the case and it doesn't sound like the organizers learned much from last year.