2018 Austin Ice Cream Festival, Presented By H-E-B, Announces After Dark Music Lineup, Frozen Treat Samplers And More

12th Annual Austin Ice Cream Festival takes place this year on Saturday, June 23 with a brand new, exciting, two-part experience featuring a daytime event and After Dark party featuring Lee Fields & The Expressions and others! Tickets for both events go on sale May 16

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Austin Ice Cream Festival

May 09, 2018, 02:28 ET

AUSTIN, Texas, May 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The 12^th Annual Austin Ice Cream Festival today announces its full entertainment lineup including headliners Lee Fields & the Expressions, Tameca Jones and DJ Mel in the evening, plus The Wild Now and Mélat taking the stage during the day. The event is also announcing the growing list of up to 20 frozen treat samplers and the return of title sponsor H-E-B to the June 23 event at the scenic Fiesta Gardens along Lady Bird Lake.

This year, the Austin Ice Cream Festival will feature two uniquely Austin events – a daytime family-focused festival from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. that will include mounds of ice cream and frozen treats from local favorites and national brands, contests, rock wall climbing, inflatables, dunk tank, yard games, water gun fights, live music entertainment and more! General Admission passes for the daytime event are $15 and include passbooks providing samples from all festival frozen treat vendors. Children six and under receive free admission.

As the sun sets, Fiesta Gardens will transform into After Dark at Austin's Ice Cream Festival, a trendy after party with headlining live music, frozen treat vendors, boozy frozen drinks and Austin's favorite food trucks. After Dark will run from 6 – 10 p.m. General Admission passes are $35 and include access to a headlining music lineup at the pavilion, samples from up to 20 frozen treat vendors, access to unique boozy frozen treat concoctions and food trucks. Early entry ZIP tickets with extra benefits will be available for purchase for both the Daytime and After Dark events on the festival website. General Admission and ZIP tickets for each event go on sale May 16 and can be purchased at www.austinicecreamfestival.com.

The Austin Ice Cream Festival is also thrilled to announce this year's frozen treat samplers including: Amy's Ice Creams, Bahama Freeze, Casey's New Orleans Snowballs, GoodPop, Ice Scrapers, Moojo, Odd Pop, Shaved Ice Island, Snow Monster, Swoon by H-E-B, Thai Fresh and more to be announced.

"Best of ATX" Frozen Treats Contest
The Austin Ice Cream Festival will crown the 2018 "Best Frozen Treat of Austin" among frozen treat vendors participating in the event. Participating brands will submit a flavor into the contest to be judged by a panel of celebrity judges at the festival. Festival goers will put their taste buds to the test as they sample from each of the festival frozen treat vendors, then vote on their "Fan Favorite." Winners of the "Fan Favorite" and "Celebrity Judged Category" will be named the "Best of ATX Frozen Treat" and receive a commemorative spoon trophy and eternal bragging rights.

ABOUT THE AUSTIN ICE CREAM FESTIVAL:

In 2007, our love of ice cream led us to create the very first Austin Ice Cream Festival. Summer is the perfect time to enjoy cold ice cream and a celebration for the Austin community – and so the Austin Ice Cream Festival was born. Every year, thousands of families and friends from across the state and country come to Fiesta Gardens to eat delicious food, play games, participate in contests, listen to live music, interact with performers and did we mention? … EAT TONS of ICE CREAM!

Accolades and Fun Facts:

More than 1.5 tons of frozen treat samples distributed at the 2017 Austin Ice Cream Festival
2017: Featured in: "Best Festivals in Texas" by Travelmag.com and "20 Ways to Have the Best Summer Ever" by Jetsetter Magazine
2016: Featured as a "Top Festival in the Country" by The Today Show
2013: Named one of the "Top 10 Summer Festivals" by Fodor's Travel Guide
In 2010, Joey Chestnut, the World's Eating Champion won the ice cream eating contest by eating 1.25 gallons of ice cream in five minutes!