Since we are now into December, sweets season has officially begun! It is the time of year when pies, cookies, and sweet treats are enjoyed by all. If donuts are your thing, you’re in luck – Cleveland has an annual celebration of these popular fried dough rounds in early February. You can signup for updates regarding vendors and tickets on the event website. Tickets for the Cleveland Fest will go on sale in January 2020 (with the actual event taking place on Saturday February 8th), and you can also keep your eyes peeled for the sister events in Detroit and Chicago. Make sure to snag your tickets ASAP as the event always sells out!
Last year, Ben bought us tickets for my birthday – he splurged on the VIP tickets which were $50 each, general admission tickets were $35. The VIP tickets included early entry into the venue, 3 cups of coffee, a Donut Fest mug, and a goodie bag. Upon arrival, there was a line to get in, even with the VIP tickets. As we shuffled into Red Space we were handed our goodie bags, mugs, a box for donuts, and a string of numbered tickets. Each ticket had a corresponding vendor – for either a donut or a coffee. As we moseyed around the venue, we handed our numbered tickets over to booth staff in exchange for treats. There were 10 donut vendors, and 3 coffee vendors including: Brewnuts, Jack Frost, Duck Donuts, Solstice Roasters and more! Each vendor had several different flavors of donuts to choose from, and the coffee stations had hot/cold and cream/sugar options for those of us who don’t just drink hot bean water.
We spent about two and a half hours at the event – slowly making our way around to try all the different offerings, music playing in the background, and discussing what we liked/didn’t like about each sampling. There was a voting station to determine which vendor should win the “best donuts” trophy. Our favorite donuts were, of course, by BREWNUTS (the trophy winner)! You have to try their classic maple bacon donut, and check out their Instagram to keep up with their ever-changing menu options! Our favorite coffee came from Solstice, their brew was smooth and not too acidic – they also had very friendly and knowledgeable staff, and an assortment of teas. Once it started to get a little crowded for our liking, we headed out. After satisfying our sweets cravings, we were looking forward to a nap following the impending crash of our extreme sugar and caffeine highs. 10/10 would recommend attending at least once!
Happy Holiday Season!
-Melanie
Roam & Mosey 