CINCINNATI — Two Tri-State-created confections are merging to create two new frozen treats to celebrate the upcoming America's River Roots Festival.
Graeter's and Perfetti Van Melle, creators of Airheads, announced the two companies have crossed the Ohio River to collaborate on the cold creations.
Specifically, the combination features Airheads Xtremes with Graeter's iconic ice cream:
- The "Xtremes Freeze" will be a combination of lemon sorbet, lemonade and blue raspberry syrup blended with ice and topped with whipped cream and Airheads Xtremes Bites.
- The "Xtremes Lemonberry Sundae" will be a scoop of Graeter's Lemon Meringue Pie ice cream layered with strawberry topping, whipped cream, cherry and Airheads Xtremes bites.
"We're thrilled to bring together two iconic regional flavors: Graeter's handcrafted ice cream, a Cincinnati staple, and Airheads Xtremes, proudly made in Northern Kentucky," said Sylvia Buxton, president and CEO of Perfetti Van Melle America's business unit, in a press release. "It's a sweet tribute to the communities on both sides of the Ohio River — where flavor and local pride flow together."
The new creations are only available for a limited time, because they're specifically created to celebrate the River Roots Festival, which is scheduled to happen on the banks of the Ohio River from October 9 through October 12. The festival is intended to kick off the 250th birthday of the United States, which happens in 2026.
The new items can also only be found in Graeter's Scoop Shops in the Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky area — but you can enjoy them from now until October 12, when the festival concludes.
"This limited-time offering was designed to capture the spirit of the America's River Roots Festival and the creativity that drives both our brands," said Chip Graeter, 4th-generation owner and chief of retail operations at Graeter's, in a press release. "At Graeter's, we believe partnering with innovative brands like Perfetti Van Melle is one of the best ways to celebrate the communities we're part of and the locally-made flavors people love."
