UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The Penn State Berkey Creamery is celebrating 150 years of service and will kick off anniversary festivities Sunday, May 24.
Memorial Day weekend will mark the launch of a social media contest, allowing fans to select the Creamery’s special anniversary flavor, as well as the unveiling of designs celebrating the sweet occasion.
“The Creamery’s dairy plant has been in continual operation since Civil War veterans returned to Centre County in 1865,” said Tom Palchak, manager of University Creamery Services. “We're excited to reflect on 150 years of memories, and look forward to Penn State students, friends and families selecting the ice cream flavor to help us celebrate."
Fans will be able to vote for their favorite from among three celebration-themed flavors through Penn State's Facebook, Twitter (@penn_state) and Instagram (@pennstate). The voting starts on May 24 when the flavors will be announced via social media; the most popular flavor will be sold at the Creamery, debuting at the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts in July. The hashtag #Creamery150 will be used for contest updates, Creamery trivia, and for Penn Staters to share their stories through social media. A contest to name the flavor will launch later this summer.
Anniversary graphics, which will appear on promotional items throughout the year, will be on display for the first time May 24.
Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences has teamed with the Creamery to offer events and activities throughout 2015 to celebrate 150 years of dairy production and food science advancements. Promotions include a limited edition Flavor Passport, coming in July, that gives Creamery patrons the chance to track all the flavors they’ve tried; the launch of the new http://creamery.psu.edu website later this summer; an attempt to break the Creamery’s record for most cones and bowls sold during Arts Fest; ice cream socials organized by the college; and an exhibit of Creamery artifacts in the University Libraries from August to December.
In 1865, the first Creamery was established inside a barn on campus, producing and selling dairy products such as fresh milk and cheese. It wasn’t until 1920 that the Creamery added ice cream to the menu. The Creamery moved to its current location on Curtin Road on Sept. 29, 2006. Notable visitors range from Bill Clinton to Martha Stewart and, most recently, Jeff Gordon.
For more information on Berkey Creamery, visit http://creamery.psu.edu/.