WORTH THE DRIVE: Dessert Festival to launch in Cincinnati this weekend drive-thru style

Molly's Cupcakes recently opened in Liberty Center. The new dessert destination, which is the first in Ohio, also has locations in Chicago, New York City, and Iowa City. This is the raspberry and cream cupcake. NICK GRAHAM/STAFF

Credit: Nick Graham

Credit: Nick Graham

Molly's Cupcakes recently opened in Liberty Center. The new dessert destination, which is the first in Ohio, also has locations in Chicago, New York City, and Iowa City. This is the raspberry and cream cupcake. NICK GRAHAM/STAFF

Midwest Dessert Fests, which has curated dessert festivals all over the Midwest, is coming to the Cincinnati area for the first time.

Due to COVID-19, it will be a drive-thru event, but you’ll still be able to sample desserts from several local treat-makers. To control traffic flow, there will be four arrival time slots to choose from when you buy your ticket. Limited tickets are available.

Desserts will also be available for purchase and, if you have a particularly sweet tooth, you can get monthly treat boxes mailed to your doorstop. For now, however, these are the vendors and treats you can expect to sample at the first inaugural Cincinnati Dessert Festival.

SugarSnap Sweet Treats: This food truck based in Alexandria, Ky., specializes in gourmet cupcakes for all occasions.

Oliver’s Desserts: Custom cakes and homemade desserts. Their specialty is their oatmeal creampie.

Amy’s Cookies and Treats: Their specialty is the iced oatmeal cookie.

Love & Macs: This Florence bakery produces macaroons in flavors such as lime, watermelon, vanilla, and triple chocolate.

Pyles Sweets & More: Bite-sized cotton candy balls come in flavors such as birthday cake, blue raspberry, and even champagne.

Le Macaron French Pastrie: Located right there in Liberty Center, the site of the festival, Le Macaron specializes in authentic French macarons and patisseries.

Sugar Innovations: The treats here include apples dipped entirely in candy or chocolate and chocolate-covered pretzels, marshmallows, and Oreos.

Memorie Maker Café and Cupcakery: The signature dessert for this cupcake bakery is the Death by Chocolate Cupcake. There are surely worse ways to go.

Starlight Doughnut Lab: This “laboratory” set up its first physical location in Norwood this year. It cranks out “over-the-top” artesian doughnuts.

Molly’s Cupcakes: Also located in Liberty Township, Molly’s churns out hand-crafted mini-cupcakes in a variety of gourmet flavors.

The Cheesecakery: These cheesecake specialists with both a brick-and-mortar Cincinnati location and food truck boast over 100 cheesecake flavors.

Chico’s Cheesecakes: Chico’s will be offering their two famous desserts: the cheesecake brownie and the cheesecake bar.

Marcella’s Doughnuts: Located on the East Side, these artisans produce over 4,000 gourmet, handmade doughnuts daily.

Cotton Candi Cloud: Hand-whipped, organic sugars, candies, and dried fruits are spun into cotton candy.

Nothing Bundt Cakes: This well-known bakery chain produces bundt cakes (cakes in a doughnut shape) in a variety of flavors.

Donna’s Gourmet Cookies: Donna’s makes scratch-made cookies, brownies, and bars. For the festival, they’ll be sampling their famous mint chocolate chip cookies.


How to Go

What: Cincinnati Dessert Festival

When: Nov. 15, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Where: Liberty Center, 7100 Foundry Row, Liberty Township

Cost: $15. Buy advance tickets here.

More Info: www.midwestdessertfests.com

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