Scoop San Diego Is Hosting America’s First Drive-Thru Ice Cream Festival!

Scoop San Diego is hosting its 3rd Annual Scoop San Diego Ice Cream Festival in Balboa Park on Saturday, May 22, and they are sweetening the deal by making it America’s first drive-thru ice cream festival. The event is presented by MyPoint Credit Union and Chemistry PR.

Festival goers are invited to relax in the comfort of their car and enjoy delicious samples as they scoop their way through 25 local ice cream and gelato shops, including Hammond’s Gourmet Ice Cream, Mr. Trustee, GelatoLove, Salt & Straw and more. There will even be three stops serving up doggy ice cream, because we can’t forget about our four-legged friends.

In addition, attendees can donate a nonperishable food item (no glass, please) that will go to a Feeding San Diego agency partner to help those facing hunger. Every guest who donates an item to the food drive will be entered into a raffle for a chance to win prizes.

In order to maintain the health and safety of attendees and staff, there will be limited entry each hour between 11AM and 6PM. Each vehicle requires one ticket with a maximum of four guests per vehicle.

Here’s the scoop!

When: Saturday, May 22 from 11AM – 6PM: Starting at 11AM, guests will be able to redeem their tickets at over 25 local ice cream and gelato shops during the one-hour time slot of their choice. Attendees will drive-thru the festival course, receiving sweet samples and delicious scoops along the way.

Why: Scoop San Diego is bringing people together with two common passions – ice cream and community. After hosting a virtual event last year in the midst of the pandemic, Scoop San Diego is back with a socially distant ice cream festival where attendees can still enjoy their favorite flavors while raising money for local non-profit Feeding San Diego, the county’s leading hunger relief and food rescue organization.

This year’s community partner: While everyone loves a delicious scoop of ice cream, it’s the cause that brings everyone together. This year Scoop San Diego has chosen Feeding San Diego, the leading hunger relief and food rescue organization in San Diego County, as the donation recipient. Feeding San Diego has been working throughout the pandemic to meet the increased need for food assistance, which has risen over 50 percent since March 2020. A member of Feeding America, Feeding San Diego is on a mission to end hunger through food rescue and works with hundreds of partners to distribute food throughout San Diego County every single day.

Tickets: Scoop San Diego Tickets

History

In 2019, Scoop San Diego hosted its first ice cream festival where 30,000 samples and 60 flavors of ice cream and gelato were enjoyed by 4,000 attendees. 20 local ice cream and gelato vendors gathered to serve the community mouthwatering treats, and in return raised $20,000 for the community partner of the year, Monarch School.

Last year, Scoop San Diego held a live stream festival during Ice Cream Relief Week in response to COVID-19, inviting people all over the nation to order delivery or take-out from local ice cream shops. The festival boasted virtual live DJ sets, interviews with shop owners, giveaways and more. Funds raised from last year’s event were donated to Home Start, a local non-profit dedicated to preventing child abuse and neglect.

About Scoop San Diego

Scoop San Diego is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that uses ice cream as a catalyst for social change. Every year, the organization hosts an ice cream and gelato festival to fundraise for a local non-profit dedicated to serving communities in need. For more information on Scoop San Diego, visit here.

See you there….and stay healthy, San Diego!