Photo: Mark Cruz/Unsplash
There’s still time to grab a sweet treat at the Vancouver Ice Cream Festival, on until August 5th. With 29 participating vendors at local businesses across the city and dozens of decadent limited-time ice cream creations, we can’t think of a more mouth-watering way to spend the summer.
Organized by Noms Magazine, the 2nd edition of the Vancouver Ice Cream Festival runs from June 21 to August 5, 2024. Use the virtual map to find vendors across the Vancouver area. Grab a seat at an ice cream shop and enjoy the festive atmosphere or take frozen creation to go so you can enjoy it at nearby beaches and parks.
Map via Vancouver Ice Cream Festival
With ice cream sandwiches, cones, sundaes and more on offer, you’ll want to sample as many as possible. You can pick up a Festival Passport at participating vendors, and then collect stickers from each ice cream shop you visit. At the end of the festival, submit your passport to win prizes.
You can also win prizes by completing Festival Missions and posting about them on Instagram or TikTok. There are nine themed missions to choose from, including the summer fashion mission, which challenges you to match your outfit to your treat and the ice cream marathon mission, where you must visit three vendors in one day.
In 2024, cafes and shops across Vancouver have come up with dozens of unique frozen desserts. You’ll find everything from classic cones to avant-garde creations and everything in between. Some locations also have gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan options.
Here are just a few of the frozen treats you can sample at this year’s festival:
Vancouver Aquarium
Photo: Vancouver Ice Cream Festival/Vancouver Aquarium
Combine a visit to the Vancouver Aquarium with an ocean-themed frozen treat. Try the Frost Bite Screamer or the Clownfish Cone at the Aquarium’s Courtyard Cafe. The Frost Bite Screamer is vanilla ice cream and blue raspberry slushy served in a souvenir shark mug. The Clownfish Cone is vanilla ice cream in an edible clownfish-shaped cone.
Where: 845 Avison Way, Stanley Park, Vancouver
Tutto Bello Il Gelato
Photo: Vancouver Ice Cream Festival/Tutto Bello Il Gelato
Recently opened in Kitsilano, Tutto Bello Il Gelato is known for its innovative mochi gelato. They have two exclusive creations for the Vancouver Ice Cream Festival: a black sesame mochi gelato and a mango mochi gelato. Their location on West 4th Avenue is a great jumping-off point for shopping at the nearby boutiques or strolling down the hill to hang out at Kitsilano Beach.
Where: 2151 W 4th Ave, Kitsilano, Vancouver
Soft Peaks
Photo: Vancouver Ice Cream Festival/Soft Peaks
Soft Peaks makes decadent soft serve with organic milk from Avalon Dairy. For this year’s festival, they created a unique Cantonese-style egg tart parfait with a freshly baked egg tart, house-made vanilla custard cream, crispy crepe flakes, and your choice of soft serve flavour. It’s a great treat to enjoy after a dim sum brunch in nearby Chinatown.
Where: 25 Alexander St, Gastown, Vancouver
Melt Confectionary
Photo: Vancouver Ice Cream Festival/Melt Confectionary
Find playful chocolates and ice creams with a sustainable focus at Melt Confectionary. Their Main Street location is a short walk from Queen Elizabeth Park, so you can enjoy your ice cream on a stroll through the Quarry Gardens. At this year’s Vancouver Ice Cream Festival, try their ice cream nachos. You get to build your own nacho tray with house-made waffle chips, your choice of toppings, fudge, raspberry drizzle, and a selection of ice cream flavours. They have both sharing and individual sizes too.
Where: 4895 Main St, Vancouver
Passione Gelato Artigianle
Photo: Vancouver Ice Cream Festival/Passione Gelato
For something a bit different try the Gorgonzola pear walnut gelato from Passione Gelato Artigianle in Yaletown. For the less adventurous, their Vancouver Ice Cream Festival offerings also include a decadent chocolate gelato with sweet Amarena cherries. Once you’ve got your treat, stroll a few blocks to David Lam Park and the False Creek Seawall to people-watch while you enjoy your gelato.
Where: 55 Smithe St, Yaletown, Vancouver
