Free ice cream, Coca-Cola draws crowds to Third Street Park
Ice cream in Third Street park has been a mainstay at the Cherry Blossom Festival since it began in 1983.
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Cherry Blossom Festival-goers will have an opportunity to kick back, listen to tunes and enjoy a free cone of pink cherry ice cream and Coca-Cola every weekday in Third Street Park for the duration of the festival.
The festivities are set to take place from 11:30 a.m. – 1p.m., March 21-28, and are sponsored by Kroger and Coca-Cola.
A spokesperson for Kroger said the grocery store has participated in the festival for decades.
“We have volunteers from all the Kroger stores and from our corporate office giving out 300 tubs of ice cream (that’s 14,400 ounces!) on Kroger brand ice cream cones and the community looks forward to it every year,” Kroger said in a statement to The Melody.
A spokesperson for the festival said DJ Laura Starling will be spinning tunes throughout the lunch hour.
Rides around downtown in a horse-drawn carriage are not part of this year’s event.
Ice cream in Third Street park has been a mainstay at the Cherry Blossom Festival since it began in 1983. Festival founder Carolyn Crayton made a pitch to Borden Dairy and Coca-Cola about sponsoring the free and inclusive event.
“I wanted people who couldn’t afford to buy a ticket to the ball or the fashion show to feel some ownership in the festival and to know they were a part of it,” Crayton said, according to “Pinkest Party on Earth” by Ed Grisamore.
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