Celebrating the Adirondacks’ Best Ice Cream Stands
The epic 2024 Battle of the Cones is ON!
Dishing up the best ice cream in the Adirondacks. Photo courtesy ROOST.com
The Battle of the Cones is back in 2024 and showcases and celebrates the Adirondacks’ iconic ice cream stands, a fixture of Adirondack summer memories for decades.
The Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST) established the Battle of the Cones in 2022 to promote the region’s ice cream stands and the communities in which they operate. And now the tradition continues for the third year.
The Adiriondacks’ best ice cream stands duke it out, March Madness Style (but in July and August).
The Adirondack region boasts a multitude of independent cream stands, many of which have operated for generations. “This is truly more of a showcase than a competition; we really want the businesses and communities to have fun with it,” commented Jane Hooper, communications manager at ROOST.
Custard’s Last Stand in Long Lake.
Battle of the Cones gathers information about the region’s Adirondack ice cream stands and enters them into a single-elimination “bracket-style” showcase. Ice cream lovers place votes online for their favorite each week.
At the end of the five-week showcase, one ice cream stand will remain, capturing the title and associated bragging rights. Donnelly’s Ice Cream in Saranac Lake captured the title in 2023, and Wind-Chill Factory in Ticonderoga claimed victory in 2022.
Chart your course on the Adirondack ice cream stand trail.
If you want a great excuse reason to visit some of the Adirondacks’ best ice cream stands, the Battle of the Cones answers your prayers.
Find iconic ice cream venues on ROOST’s Ice Cream Stand Wayfinder Trail. These dairy dream bars come in all shapes and sizes, from family-owned restaurants to stands serving one flavor of homemade soft-serve daily; the Battle of the Cones is a fight to the finish.
Among the ice cream destinations are:
Tupper Lake’s Skyline ice cream stand.
TimberJaxx Pass (Tupper Lake)
Wind-Chill Factory (Ticonderoga)
Skyline (Tupper Lake)
Teddy’s (Saranac Lake)
Ethel’s Dew Drop Inn (Willsboro)
Gene’s Snack Bar (Port Henry)
Ben & Jerry’s (Lake Placid)
The Pinecone (Raybrook)
The Park (Long Lake)
Northern Lights Creamery (Inlet)
Frenchy’s (Crown Point)
The Pine Cone (Ray Brook)
Mountain Mist Ice Cream (Saranac Lake)
The Wind-Chill Factory near Ticonderoga.
Online voting kicks off on July 22, just a day after National Ice Cream Day on July 21, 2024. This is your opportunity to vote for the best ice cream stand in the ADK.
According to ROOST Regional Manager Kenzie Marine, “Battle of the Cones” has become a highly anticipated summer event. It promotes local ice cream stands and encourages fun, lighthearted competition among business owners and communities.
Bring on the brain freeze!
Adirondack ice cream stands have embraced the contest, competing with and encouraging their rivals. “The competition is delicious,” according to Marine. “This campaign is one in which the ice cream stands can take an active role, allowing us to promote all the ice cream stands throughout the region, along with Adirondack communities. The ice cream stand owners, managers, and staff members are really having a lot of fun with it.”
The “Battle of the Cones” contest schedule is as follows:
Current bracket and voting available on battleofthecones.com
Round One: Monday, July 22, until Sunday, July 28 at 11:59 pm
Quarter Finals: Monday, July 29, until Sunday, Aug. 4 at 11:59 pm
Semifinals Monday, Aug. 5, until Sunday, Aug. 11 at 11:59 pm
Finals Monday, Aug. 12, until Sunday, Aug. 18 at 11:59 pm
And, by the way, while we have no verified proof, allegedly, any ice cream eaten for the sake of the competition is calorie and fat-free.
Cast your votes now!
Adirondack Wayfinder Trails are a series of online maps people can follow to experience particular activities throughout the Adirondacks. These trails include information about ice cream stands, farm experiences, breweries, history, cuisine and family-friendly activities.
