It’s Delaware ice cream festival time

One scoop or two, waffle or sugar cone — those are the difficult decisions to be made during this year’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream Festival at Rockwood Park. 

Promoted as Delaware’s largest family picnic, the ice cream festival returns June 28-29. At least eight dairies, 23 restaurant and snack vendors, a beer garden, live music and kid-friendly activities make up this year’s lineup. There will also be a “Best Sundae on Sunday” competition.

“The Ice Cream Festival is a great tradition at Rockwood and it offers an opportunity for visitors to enjoy the beauty of this wonderful county park,” said New Castle County Executive Tom Gordon.

Cosponsored by Barry’s Events, festival organizer Barry Schlecker resurrected the ice cream festival in 2012, after a five-year hiatus. New Castle County discontinued it in 2007 because it could not afford the expenses associated with it.

In 2012, Schlecker hoped to draw 10,000 people. Now in its third year, he and Gordon believe as many as 80,000 people could attend this year’s festival.

“Families come early and tend to stay all day to take in all the activities,” Schlecker said. “We encourage everyone to BYOB — bring your own blanket.”

Schlecker has not had the best luck with weather during past ice cream festival years. Triple digit heat and a heavy thunderstorm put a damper on the fun in 2012 and 2013 respectively. We’ll have to wait and see what Mother Nature has in store this year. 

Festival hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, June 28 and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, June 29. Admission is $5 for adults and $1 for children under 12. Click here for a schedule of all performances and a full list of festival participants.