Lytham Ice Cream Festival returns to Lowther Pavilion gardens

A delicious celebration of frozen delights is returning to Lytham this summer, giving sweet-toothed guests the perfect way to cool off during the heatwave.
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The Lytham Ice Cream Festival will take place in the Lowther Pavilion gardens on the weekend of July 23 and 24.

More than a dozen artisan ice cream vendors from all over Lancashire will serve up scoops of vanilla, chocolate and strawberry – as well as some more unusual flavours – while visitors enjoy free entertainment from a jazz band, the Fylde Coast Cloggers, and young musicians from Blackpool Music School.

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Tim Lince, CEO and artistic director at the Lowther, said: “It’s going to be a fantastic weekend, and it’s entirely free, so people can have a picnic in the park and enjoy the wonderful music and taste as much ice cream as they want.

Lytham Ice Cream Festival at Lowther Gardens, Lytham. Families enjoying the ice cream festival. Picture by Paul Heyes, Saturday July 24, 2021.Lytham Ice Cream Festival at Lowther Gardens, Lytham. Families enjoying the ice cream festival. Picture by Paul Heyes, Saturday July 24, 2021.
Lytham Ice Cream Festival at Lowther Gardens, Lytham. Families enjoying the ice cream festival. Picture by Paul Heyes, Saturday July 24, 2021.

“This is our third ice cream festival. We get an average of 10,000 people through the park, and we anticipate a similar turn-out this year – if not bigger. This event is larger than our previous two, because due to the pandemic we had to limit numbers and introduce a one-way system around the park. Now, we have more freedom.

"It’s totally unique. The festival was born out of the Covid-19 pandemic, out of the theatre trying to do something for the community and lay out events we could do safely outside in the park, and it picked itself up and has become one of the most successful things the theatre does.

“Everybody loves ice cream and everybody loves to walk around the beautiful Edwardian gardens, and the combination of all the free entertainment, bars and food makes it something people can really enjoy.

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"During the pandemic we had a lot of screen time, and now I think we need to replace it with ‘green time’, with events that people can go to, which are low-cost.

Lytham Ice Cream Festival at Lowther Gardens, Lytham. Large crowds on Saturday. Picture by Paul Heyes, Saturday July 24, 2021.Lytham Ice Cream Festival at Lowther Gardens, Lytham. Large crowds on Saturday. Picture by Paul Heyes, Saturday July 24, 2021.
Lytham Ice Cream Festival at Lowther Gardens, Lytham. Large crowds on Saturday. Picture by Paul Heyes, Saturday July 24, 2021.

“With the cost of living crisis, finding things to do which are free can be difficult. There are lots of things going on, but the costs of these things are going up – whereas here you can come and buy one ice cream and spend the whole day in the gardens.

“The Lowther is completely comitted to making it a family event, affordable for everybody.”