West Hollywood’s New Ice Cream Shop Features Recipes by Master Gelato Chefs

When an international gelato event announces its arrival to Los Angeles, it’s likely to score points with locals. But when that same festival plans to take up a permanent spot near Gracias Madre in West Hollywood, it’s a solid addition for a city filled with ice cream and gelato shops. The roving Gelato Festival will open a permanent location next to Gracias Madre in WeHo at the end of August, just ahead of the actual festival in late-September.

The Gelato Festival started in Florence a decade ago while rotating through various cities. This included a stop in Boston last month, and a forthcoming one mid-August in Chicago. Some of the installation resembles an Instagram-friendly pop-up, where art installations illustrate the history of gelato. And because this event morphs into an actual store with a gelateria, it’ll stay put post-festival on September 28 and 29.

Organizers put together a viewing room where people can watch gelato-making on-site, with workshops, gelato-making competitions, community events, and a rotating menu of gelato made by notable chefs. It’ll keep the same name and opens next month.

During a scouting trip for the Los Angeles festival, founder Gabriele Poli decided to make things permanent in West Hollywood. The Gelato Festival started in Europe in 2010, and began making appearances in the U.S. in 2017.

The permanent festival is across from Gracias Madre at 8906 Melrose in West Hollywood. The Gelato Festival will be in the courtyard at The Pacific Design Center.

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