05/26/2026
From all of us at Velvet Ice Cream and the Dager family, thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Utica Ice Cream Festival!
When the Utica Sertoma group and third generation Velvet owners Mike and Joe Dager started the festival back in the 1970s, it was only expected to last a few years. Look at us now, 50 years later!
Despite some cruddy weather, we were so grateful to see so many people come out, enjoy the festival, and make memories with us. We were especially thankful to end on such a great note yesterday with beautiful weather and an awesome turnout.
To our vendors, volunteers, entertainers, sponsors, community partners, and everyone who helped make this year possible, THANK YOU! You mean the world to us, and we truly could not do it without you.
As this was our first year with the festival located almost entirely on the Velvet Ice Cream side, we were excited to see the new layout come to life. We thought it was a great start, and we will continue to listen, learn, and improve for the years ahead.
A special thank you to The Energy Cooperative for allowing us to park vendors and shuttle guests through their property. Your support is so appreciated.
Thank you for helping us celebrate 50 years of ice cream, community, and tradition. We will see you Memorial Day weekend 2027 for our 51st festival, and hopefully our driest one yet!
