You may have missed the moment to enjoy a cone or a cup of ice cream on National Ice Cream Day -- it was July 17 -- but no worries: Orange County has its own ice cream trail! Orange County Tourism & Film and the Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) put together a list of 11 places to enjoy locally made ice cream throughout the month of July, which they have declared as "Ice Cream Month" in the county.
“We have an abundance of really cool owner-operated places, many of which either make their own ice cream or feature local ingredients,” said Maire Ullrich, the CCE agricultural program leader who birthed the idea after hearing about ice cream trails elsewhere. “The trail makes a great summer to-do list.”
What's happening:River Fest is this weekend, OC Fair continues, Bagel Fest coming soon!
History:Ulster farmhouse saved from developers undergoing restoration
Business:Kosher winemaker seeing $28M property tax cut
Here's their list of 11 spots to sample. Owner-operators of Orange County ice cream shops not yet on the list can have theirs added by going to cornell.ca1.qualtrics.com.
Riverside Creamery: That white house with raspberry shutters is a restored ice cream shop originally opened in 1949, overlooking the Delaware River. Seating is available inside (with table service) and outside. Try the famous fried ice cream. Some flavors include French roast coffee, Kahlua almond amaretto, and Rocky Mountain raspberry. 5 Water St., Port Jervis, riversidecreamery.com
The Sugarhouse at Finding Home Farms: The menu at the Sugarhouse includes locally made Jane's ice cream, and the vanilla maple swirl features the farm’s own organic maple syrup. Also find coffees, baked goods, waffles, waffled sandwiches and more. Some flavors include vanilla maple swirl, mocha crunch lavender. 140 Eatontown Road, Middletown, findinghomefarms.com
Zoghby’s Blueberry Mountain: Their waffle cones are homemade, just like the premium ice cream. Assemble your own creation at the make-your-own sundae bar. Some flavors: Smurf (blue raspberry with mini marshmallows), red velvet, malted milk balls, 655 Route 17M, Middletown,facebook.com/blueberrymountain
What’s the Scoop?A stand with picnic tables and Adirondack chairs outside, What’s the Scoop? offers an array of hard ice cream flavors and even has unique flavors for soft serve ice cream, such as piña colada. Special dietary options include vegan banana coconut cream. Some hard ice cream flavors: banana pudding, Cookie Monster, cannoli. 20 Matthews St., Goshen, whatsthescoopgoshenny.com
Sweet Tymes: The treats that transport you back in time are not just the premium ice cream but include classic and old-fashioned sweets such as rock candy and luscious fudge, international treats such as the British Flake candy bars by Cadbury, and more. Special diet ice cream flavors include vegan versions of vanilla and killer chocolate. Some other flavors: Cappuccino Kahlua, peppermint, Pumpkin. 59 West Main St., Goshen
Dairy Delite: Offers soft serve and hard ice cream, yogurts, vegan Dole whip, shakes, egg creams, Italian ices, chocolate-covered bananas and more, as well as burgers and Sabrett hot dogs, fries, onion rings and chicken fingers. Some ice cream flavors: Cookie dough, Cotton candy, Panda Paws (vanilla ice cream with peanut butter panda paw cups and swirls of thick rich fudge.) 186 N. Main St., Florida, facebook.com/Dairy-Delite
Ice Capps: Open since 2020, Ice Capps has always used only whole, natural ingredients, including real fruit, to give all the cool treats that signature taste. Each batch is handmade in-house to ensure the highest quality. The owners keep customers’ favorite flavors while continuing to experiment with new tastes and combinations. Some ice cream flavors: peanut butter with Oreos, strawberry cheesecake, chocolate hazelnut. 134 West Main St., Goshen, icecappsny.com
Pennings Farm Market: Ice cream stand at the farm market offers soft-serve custard and 24 flavors of hard packed ice cream. Served in a barn, near where farm critters clamor against fences for nibbles of feed, the ice cream comes in classic flavors. Among them: vanilla, chocolate, white lightning. 161 Route 94S, Warwick, penningsfarmmarket.com.
Hudson’s Ice Cream: The newest shop on the trail, Hudson’s Ice Cream was born of a need for ice cream safe for kids with common allergies. The shop has something for everyone. Whether you’re in the mood for some old fashioned ice cream, you’re a vegan or you suffer from allergies, Hudson’s Ice Cream has the perfect flavor to match your preferences and requirements – and to put a smile on your face. 250 Route 32 Suite 106, Central Valley, hudsonsicecreamstore.com
Cornwall Sweets: Cornwall Sweets features Jane’s Ice Cream as well as old time candy and treats including churros, black-and-white cookies and white chocolate covered cookies sprinkled with candy cane bits. Ice cream flavors include, Instagraham, bourbon pecan, triple chocolate peanut butter brownie. 297 Main St., Cornwall, cornwallsweets.com
Weir’s Ice Cream: Opened in 1956, Weir’s serves hard and soft ice cream, shakes, floats, sherbet, Italian ice, slush drinks, cyclones, and ice cream cakes. Weir’s will satisfy your ice cream craving with top-quality treats, some using local produce such as rhubarb. In the peak of summer, Weir’s features more than 30 flavors of homemade hard ice cream. Some examples: blueberry crumble, Dinosaur Food (purple vanilla ice cream with M&Ms), Midnight on the Moodna (chocolate ice cream with mint chocolate cookies and a mint swirl). 2159 Route 94, Salisbury Mills, weirsicecream.com