Philly flavors reign supreme at Atlantic City water ice festival
Two Philly water ice shops took home top prizes at the inaugural Ocean's Casino Resort competition.

Philly is synonymous with water ice — it’s number two on Inquirer’s 76 iconic foods list for a reason. And over the weekend, two Philly shops claimed the top spots at Ocean Casino Resort’s first water ice competition.
The festival, at the Atlantic City resort’s TopGolf Swing Suite, featured 14 vendors from New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware.
The coconut water ice from Chinatown’s the Yummy Palace won best traditional flavor. The lime mojito from West Philly’s Siddiq’s Water Ice was crowned the best nontraditional flavor.
The winners took home a trophy and a championship belt, along with an overnight stay in a VIP suite, $500 dining credit, two spa treatments, and two tickets to a show of the winner’s choice. The winning flavors will be featured for three months at Scoops in The District.
From 2 to 5 p.m., guests of the family-friendly, ticketed event enjoyed unlimited tastings, engaged in photo opportunities and face painting, and sampled offerings to vote in the Water Ice Flavor contest. The event was hosted by social media influencer Aunt Mary Pat.
Other Philly water ice vendors included Philadelphia Tropical Treats, South Philly Ice, John’s Water Ice, and Philadelphia Water Ice Factory. But only covers the surface of just how many shops the city has to offer — consider the Inquirer water ice map for more options.
Cherry Hill’s Primo Water Ice, Mahwah’s The Ice Factory, Patterson’s Gelotti, Wilmington’s Fusco’s Water Ice & Ice Cream, Sicklerville’s Rosati Ice, Williamstown’s Stio’s Water Ice & Ice Cream, and Bensalem’s Volpe’s Italian Ice also participated.
“We’re thrilled to have seen the excitement from the hundreds of guests that joined us on Saturday for Ocean’s first-ever Water Ice Festival,” said Bill Callahan, general manager of Ocean Casino Resort. “Fans voted for their favorites, and we’re excited that two local businesses were recognized as the best of the best! We look forward to making this an annual summer tradition for years to come.”
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