The world’s most prestigious event dedicated to gelato – all’italiana is back in America, and stopping in the nation’s capital! For the last ten years, Gelato Festival has worked hard to share the delight that is artisanal gelato making and is very excited to return to Washington, D.C. once again. In the city constantly heated by politics, cold gelato is a bipartisan treat for Washingtonians.

Gelato chefs from all over the world will compete with original flavors to determine who is the best, Saturday, September 7th and Sunday, the 8th in front of City Market at O to celebrate and enjoy Italy’s iconic frozen dessert.

Organized in collaboration with Carpigiani and Sigep – Italian Exhibition Group, the Gelato Festival spreads knowledge and enjoyment of real Italian artisanal gelato through a contest where the chef behind the best gelato wins a gold medal by Florentine Goldsmith Paolo Penko. Following the Washington DC stage, Gelato Festival America will journey to West Hollywood, CA and open the first permanent Gelato Festival flagship store at 8906 Melrose Ave., which will carry all the best gelatos from the international tour. The celebration will continue as the Pacific Design Center transforms into a village of artisanal gelaterie to conclude the 2019 tour. Air Italy travels with Gelato Festival as the Global Partner.

A wristband entitles guests to all the gelato they can eat while participating in activities and voting for competing gelatos and the chefs who created them. The winner will continue the journey towards the Gelato Festival World Masters in Italy. Stock up on these rare gelatos in special cups from Gelato Festival’s Technical Sponsor, Stanpac, inspired by the unique history and people of Washington DC.

ABOUT ITALIAN GELATO

When visiting amazing, culturally rich cities like Florence and Rome, there is one treat sold on almost every corner — authentic Italian gelato. Some say gelato’s heritage dates all the way back to 1559, in the Italian Renaissance, when the Medici family commissioned famous artist and architect Bernardo Buontalenti to prepare an opulent feast for the visiting king of Spain. According to the story, Buontalenti created a new frozen dessert for the special occasion, made from a few simple ingredients such as milk, eggs and honey. And thus the first gelato was created, and Buontalenti is now heralded as the inventor of this creamy Italian dessert. To discover more about the history of gelato visit the Gelato Museum (www.gelatomuseum.com) in Bologna.

Americans often wonder what the difference is between ice cream and gelato. The main difference is texture! The gelato’s lighter texture comes from using more milk than cream, which also means less fat and fewer calories. It is stored at warmer temperatures, increasing the richness of the flavors and ensuring a smooth texture.

ABOUT THE GELATO FESTIVAL

The mission of Gelato Festival America is to spread the culture of artisan Italian gelato in the US. Originating in Florence, Italy, Gelato Festival is an all-star lineup of the biggest names in gelato artistry competing against one another with a one-time flavor they have created just for the festival.

Two years ago, 50 gelato chefs competed with unique gelato flavors to produce over 13,500 pounds of gelato to the delight of over 40,000 visitors and 150 gelato professionals who were present at the Festival in 2017. With the growth of Gelato Festival America, over 100,000 people attended the 2018 edition. Gelato Festival America 2019 is the most exciting edition yet, featuring 4 all-new locations and an award-winning roster of gelato chefs.