UTICA — Velvet Ice Cream is giving ice cream lovers a chance to immerse themselves in the fun of ice cream making this summer. The beloved Utica-based frozen confection manufacturer today launched a social media contest designed to let Velvet fans determine the new 2017 Ohio State Fair ice cream flavor. Through April 12, ice cream lovers can submit ideas for the flavor on Velvet Ice Cream’s Facebook page. Company leaders will choose the best flavor submission and will develop a brand-new ice cream flavor, created especially for the Ohio State Fair, which runs July 26-Aug. 6 at the Ohio Expo Center.
Each summer, Velvet launches a new flavor inspired by favorite tastes from the Ohio State Fair. Past state fair flavors have included Blueberry Sweet Corn, Banana Cream Pie, Maple Bacon and Elephant Ear, which was so popular it became part of Velvet Ice Cream’s year-round flavor collection and is now available in grocery stores in Velvet’s signature 56-ounce cartons.
“This contest gives Velvet Ice Cream fans a chance to be a part of the magic of creating new ice cream flavors that can be enjoyed by the nearly one million visitors who attend the Ohio State Fair,” said President of Velvet Ice Cream, Luconda Dager. “Our special State Fair flavors have been so incredibly popular in the past, we wanted to invite our fans to be a part of the fun for this year.”
2017 marks 103 years of business for Velvet Ice Cream. Founded in 1914 by Joseph Dager, four generations of Dagers have since run the company, which is located in Utica, Ohio on 25 acres of the perfect combination of wooded countryside and rolling, pastoral farmland. Still family-owned and operated, Velvet produces and distributes more than five million gallons of ice cream every year from its headquarters on the grounds of Ye Olde Mill. Ye Olde Mill also houses an ice cream and milling museum, a restaurant, playground, picnic area and catch-and-release fish pond.
Named by Frommer’s as one of America’s 10 Best Ice Cream Factory Tours, Velvet’s Ye Olde Mill welcomes 150,000 visitors each year for tours, tastings and events. The annual Ice Cream Festival (May 27-29, 2017), group tour experiences and school learning field trips are among the many draws to Ye Olde Mill, which is open to the public through Oct. 31. Complete information about Velvet Ice Cream and Ye Olde Mill is available VelvetIceCream.com.
