Ice Cream, Ice Cream, We All Scream Ice Cream!

While ice cream is delicious on its own, it becomes even more enjoyable when turned into ice cream bars!

Ice cream bars are versatile treats that can be enjoyed not only at kids' birthday parties but also at bridal showers, wedding reception after-parties, or even backyard barbecues. They can be a delightful addition to various types of events.

You have the freedom to customize the bar according to your preferences - whether you prefer a simple selection of toppings or want to go all out and offer a wide variety. In my book, toppings are divided into four categories:

1. Healthy: Berries (blueberries, strawberries, cherries, raspberries)

2. Sweet: M&M's, Gummy bears, Mini Reese's, Sprinkles, Chopped-up Snickers bars, Chocolate chips

3. Crunchy: Peanuts, Granola, Almonds, Pecans, Toffee bits, Cereal

4. Saucy: Chocolate syrup or Hot fudge, Caramel sauce, Berry compote, Espresso

They can of course overlap, but you will want to make sure that you have enough variety and texture to let guests create their own sundae or cone.

You can also make the ice cream bar a collaborative experience for your guests by asking them to bring along something to share. Here are a few ideas ...

BYOT: That's bring your own topping. Ask each guest to bring their favorite out of the ordinary topping to add to the bar.

BYOB: This is bringing your own bowl. Have your guests bring fun, creative bowls that can serve as a topic of discussion while enjoying ice cream.

HATCHETT HINT: When deciding on the toppings for your bar, it's a good idea to include classic ice cream flavors like vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, and coconut to ensure they complement your toppings perfectly.

For the event featured here, we kept it simple as it was for a smaller gathering. We included four types of ice cream, with six different toppings that all fall under the four categories mentioned earlier. We

offered cups AND bowls, as not everyone enjoys eating ice cream on a cone.

We decorated the bar with a fun and colorful balloon garland using a red tablecloth to make it all 'pop' and created the custom ICE CREAM BAR banner.

We present our idea for summer event inspiration. Give it a try at your next summer event and share the results with us!

Happy summer everyone!

Until next time...

Traci H.

xoxoxo