What to Know
- Sunday, July 17 (National Ice Cream Day); continuing every Sunday through Sept. 4
- Ice Cream Alley will feature several local dessert-perfecting pros
- Smorgasburg LA takes place at ROW DTLA; admission is free
Alleys are often ensorcelled places in fictional books, the sort of spots where shops brimming with curiosities might draw you in from the outside, all to have a closer look.
But if we're talking about an alley that magically materializes in our city in the summertime, in DTLA, those intriguing shops don't require a closer look so much as a closer... lick.
Because this particular alley is themed to ice cream, that wondrous, wondrously cold, fancifully flavorful, bedecked with jimmies, joy-bringing invention, and the downtown destination?
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It's Smorgasburg LA, which plays a playful host to Ice Cream Alley when the weather gets warm.
Pairing this idea with the nummy notion of ice cream imbues it with enchantment, and the fact that the return of Ice Cream Alley is coinciding with National Ice Cream Day, which is Sunday, July 17?
It's like pure magic, with a handful of delicious jimmies on top.
The Scene
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So what can an avowed ice-cream-ist expect when sweetly sauntering through Ice Cream Alley?
Several local scoop specialists — "around 10 different sweet treat vendors" is the happy prediction — serving a colorful cavalcade of cool-down desserts.
The alley can be found "just inside the entrance" of the large-scale outdoor food market, which is located at ROW DTLA.
Pups are known for their love of lickable scoops, it is true, but dogs aren't allowed at the market, so best leave your lovies at home while you go in search of cool confections.
There is a beer garden, and plenty of savory offerings, if you'd like to bookend your ice cream enjoyment with tacos, burgers, and other hearty munchables.
Entry is complimentary, but do have funds for all of the fun foods you encounter.
