Locals will be screaming for ice cream this summer as a new festival begins in Williamsburg.
Lux Events, an event planning company based out of Newport News, is hosting the first Ice Cream Festival to celebrate National Ice Cream Month in July. The company is known for planning events that draw in thousands of guests, such as the annual Great Food Truck Festival in Newport News which garnered a crowd of 3,000 guests last year.
Shannon Combs, owner of the company, said she’d heard from Williamsburg residents that they didn’t want to always have to drive to another city to attend fun festivals. So, after some brainstorming she decided to create something new.
“I love every single detail about planning an event like this one,” she said. “From giving birth to the idea to figuring out how I’m going to execute it.”
Combs said the idea came to her while thinking about fun things she wanted to do with her own family.
The event is currently still accepting applications for ice cream vendors but Combs plans to have more than 50 different toppings and 50 different flavors available for guests. In addition, Combs said there will be a variety of other frozen treats as well, such as smoothies and specialty popsicle.
There will also be various food vendors for those wanting to have a meal with their dessert.
When planning the event, she thought of ways to make it more than just eating ice cream— but as a summer experience for locals of all ages.
“When you think of ice cream, you typically think of children,” she said. “Most of the events we host we try to make family-oriented.”
The event will feature three inflatables, pony rides, balloon animals, and face painting.
Throughout the event July 20, which runs from noon to 4 p.m. there will be various forms of entertainment. At 12:30 p.m., guests can enjoy a magic show followed by a juggling performance at 1:30 p.m. Then to end the afternoon, there will be a singing performance from a Disney princess at 2:30 p.m.
Combs has been planning events such as this one long before she even started her company in 2017. She said she had started planning for several different companies and got burnt out because she wanted to offer something different.
When she first started Lux Events, she said she began with simple but unique activities that were always free and open to the public.
“I realized I prefer to host the event and then bring in the public,” she said. “It’s enjoyable when people come because you get to see their enjoyment and we have pictures we post so people can look back and remember those fun times they had.”
The first Ice Cream Festival will be at Sullivan’s Square. Combs said most of the vendors will be covered under a tent, but if there is extremely inclement weather then most likely the event would move into nearby Legacy Hall.
While the event is free and open to the public, registration is required so Lux Events can know how many people to expect. To register visit Lux Events online.
