Scooper Bowl Season
I scream, you scream, we all scream …
Get your stretchy pants ready for Boston’s annual largest in the nation all-you-can-eat ice cream festival, from June 9 to 11. That’s right, it’s time for the Jimmy Fund Scooper Bowl, the unofficial start of summer in New England.
Every June, the Scooper Bowl serves up the finest ice cream, such as Häagen-Dazs and Ben and Jerry’s, to raise money for the Jimmy Fund, which supports cancer research and treatment at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
City Hall Plaza in Government Center is an ice cream hub for three days, with live music, sponsor giveaways, sorbet, frozen yogurt, and of course, ice cream. This charity favorite raised more than $345,000 last year. All the ice cream, scoopers, products, and labor are donated by the 10 participating ice cream companies.
For $8, the choices are almost endless, from Oatmeal Cookie Chunk to Zesty Lemon Sorbet. Dairy diehards can be spotted walking around with stacks of empty cups, often more than one from each tent.
The festival started in 1983, when patrons could enjoy the all-you-can-eat ice cream for just $1. Now in its 27th season, the Scooper Bowl is almost as famous as the Super Bowl — and some would say more fun.
Tickets are $8 for adults (ages 10 and up), $4 for children (ages 3 to 9), and free for children under three. For those immune to ice cream headaches, a $15 Scooper Pass allows three entrances to the festival. Hours are noon to 8 p.m. from Tuesday, June 9, through Thursday, June 11, at City Hall Plaza; take the Green line to Government Center. A list of sponsors for the event and more details are available here.
Anna Webster can be reached at annaweb@bu.edu.
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