Everyone knows that in the hot days of summer, ice cream and the county fair go hand-in-hand. And at the Deschutes County Fair, ice cream is synonymous with Eberhard’s Dairy Products. Headquartered in Redmond, Eberhard’s has had a major presence at the fair for decades. They are a longtime sponsor of the Food Court Stage, hosting many family-friendly events throughout the week, including the always popular talent show. Eberhard’s also serves as a valued vendor, providing fairgoers with delicious ice cream to cool down with on sweltering summer days at the fair.

So it was natural for fair organizers to reach out to Eberhard’s to partner with them in the Deschutes County Fair Centennial Ice Cream Contest, a once-in-a-lifetime chance for community members to invent a special ice cream flavor to join in the centennial and celebrate “100 Years of Fun Since Day One!”

“We received over 300 creative entries for this contest,” said Emily Holston, quality assurance manager for Eberhard’s. “All entries were reviewed by a panel of judges comprised of personnel from Eberhard’s, and the winning flavor was selected based on the criteria of creativity, marketability, and production capability.”

Julie K. won the contest with her creation of “Deschutes Flair.” The winning flavor features French vanilla ice cream with a chocolate fudge swirl and toffee crunch.

“The judges loved that the name Deschutes Flair was a creative spin on Deschutes Fair and were impressed with the delicious simplicity of the flavor combinations,” said Holston.

For inventing the winning ice cream flavor, Julie K. received two tickets to the fair, two carnival wristbands, two VIP tickets to the concert of her choice, a four-quart pail of her ice cream flavor, and swag from Eberhard’s.

The celebratory Deschutes Flair ice cream will be available for purchase starting June 26 at your favorite local scoop shops, Music on the Green in Redmond, and, of course, the Deschutes County Fair.

Many of those who submitted contest entries also took the opportunity to share their personal memories of the fair, and Eberhard’s will be featuring many of these fun reminiscences throughout the summer in a #FairFridays series on social media. You can also see a sampling in “Memories and Highlights” on page 30. ❦