What’s sweeter than a little competition? Over the next three years, 5,000 artisanal gelato chefs from around the world will vie for a chance to enter the 2021 Gelato Festival World Masters competition in Italy. Only the best 36 gelato chefs will qualify to battle for the championship title.
On September 8 and 9, you can root for Pitango at Gelato Festival DC, one of the first challenges in the three-year competition. At this fun weekend event, you can learn about gelato production techniques, sample entries from all of the competitors and vote for your favorite flavor.
This year, American gelato chefs can qualify for the world finals through eight festivals all around the Country, including those in Jersey City, Boulder, Chicago, Los Angeles, Dallas, Scottsdale, Tucson and our own Washington DC.
Artisans and chefs go through a rigorous selection process in order to compete in one of these eight stages with a unique, one-time flavor specially created for the Gelato Festival. You can taste them all!
Tickets include tasting of all the flavors that were created for the festival, admission to the gelato school where you can learn the secrets of gelato artisans and participate in contests, fun activities, and the right to vote for the winning flavor! Tickets are available online.
In the United States, Gelato Festival America selects the best gelato chefs through 24 touring festivals, spread over three years, with an American final in 2021 that will grant access to the world finals.
The event takes place 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, September 8 at the City Market at O (800 P St. NW).
