The Gelato World Tour is coming to Chicago over the Memorial Day weekend. The world's premiere cross-cultural artisan gelato competition will take place at Millennium Park in Chicago May 27-29. This event is free and open to the public.

The Gelato World Tour Village, in the South Promenade of Millennium Park, will showcase 16 renowned gelato artisans from North and South America competing to create the Americas’ best gelato flavor. Visitors will watch the artisans work in the Gelato Lab to create amazing sensory-shocking, taste bud tingling flavors, and then taste those flavors.

Carpigiani Gelato University, the internationally-renowned center of learning dedicated to training successful gelato entrepreneurs, will have hourly lessons on the history, art, passion and production with hands-on workshops and delicious instruction on the ancient art of making gelato. Visitors who choose to purchase special $10 tasting tickets will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite flavor. Portions of the proceeds will benefit the Illinois Restaurant Association’s Education Foundation as well as the Scuola Italiana Enrico Fermi, the first Italian- American bilingual and bicultural school in Chicago.

“The goal is to help the Americas understand the many benefits of artisan gelato and to answer the most asked question among foodies: what’s the difference between gelato and ice cream? In a nutshell, gelato has a third of the butter fat, seventy percent less air and a warmer serving temperature than ice cream. Equally important, it’s made fresh every morning from only the finest natural ingredients. It’s a difference that all visitors will be able to experience firsthand at Millennium Park, Chicago,” says Achille Sassoli, director of the Gelato World Tour.

From a jury of experts and journalists, votes will be combined to award the best gelato flavor in the Americas. The top three flavors and artisans will represent the Eastern Americas at the Grand Finale of Gelato World Tour, in Rimini, Italy, in September 2017.

The Gelato World Tour, with more than 1,500 competitors from 5 continents, is the most comprehensive gelato competition in the world. The tour has already visited nine cities: Rome, Valencia, Melbourne, Dubai, Austin, Berlin, Rimini, Singapore and Tokyo.

Tour collaborators from Italy include Carpigiani Gelato University and Sigep – Rimini Fiera, the most important trade fair in the world for the artisan creation of gelato, pastry, confectionery and bakery products organize the event. Two important partners make this event possible: IFI, international leader in the manufacturing of display cases for gelaterias and PreGel, the world’s largest producer of ingredients for gelato, pastry and coffee shops.

The event is supported internationally by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Italian Ministry of Economic Development and the Emilia Romagna Region. The Italian Trade Agency – Chicago and the Illinois Restaurant Association are local supporters of the event. Kendall College, Hard Rock Hotel (the official Hotel of the Gelato World Tour Americas East), Piccolo Sogno and Chef Tony Priolo, and Eataly are also supporting the event in Chicago.