The first Chenango County Ice Cream Trail put together by the County’s Planning Department and CCE Chenango features eight stops around the county. Pick up a stamp card at any of the eight participating ice cream shops, and once five stamps are received gain entry to a county wide raffle by mailing or dropping off the completed card to the County’s Planning Department by September 23. (Photos by Rebeca Laibowitz)

CHENANGO COUNTY – The Chenango County Planning & Development Department, in partnership with the Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) of Chenango County, has launched the county's first Ice Cream Trail. Giving residents and visitors a new reason to explore the county one scoop at a time.

Anyone can join in on the Ice Cream Trail, all it takes is picking up a stamp card at one of the eight participating ice cream shops, and start collecting stamps. Once participants collect stamps from five of the eight locations, they can mail or drop off their completed card to the Chenango County Planning Department. Every completed card submitted by September 23 earns an entry into a raffle featuring prizes donated by local businesses.

“The trail encourages families to explore different parts of the county and discover local businesses they may not have visited before,” said Allison Yacano Senior Planner.

The eight stops include: Gilligans in Sherburne, America's Sweet Spot in New Berlin, Dusty's Dairy Bar in Norwich, Lindy's in Norwich, Hoppie's Cafe in Oxford, Bourdreau's Bistro in Greene, Bob's Diner in Bainbridge, and Country Classics in Bainbridge.

“We wanted the trail to represent the entire County to the best of our ability. We are grateful that all eight locations signed on to participate!” Yacano said. “One of our biggest goals is to encourage people to explore more of Chenango County and support the small businesses that make our communities unique.”

Beyond ice cream, organizers hope that the trail encourages residents to explore parks, attractions, and other small businesses throughout the county. The trail also pairs naturally with the Explore Chenango Outdoor Challenge, a summer initiative between the County Planning and Health Departments. Many of the ice cream shops are located nearby outdoor challenge stops, making it convenient to combine a day spent outdoors with a cool something sweet to complete the experience.

“Who doesn't like a nice hike with a sweet treat at the end,” said Yacano.

The idea for the Ice Cream Trail came about during meetings between the Planning Department and CCE, who have collaborated on numerous programs over the years. Inspired by other counties in our region who already have similar initiatives, they decided to start reaching out to ice cream shops in Chenango County and put the trail together.

Rather than creating a digital or online check-in system, the organizers opted for a physical stamp card. A nostalgic approach that fits the spirit of the trail. Each shop received 100 cards to start, and one has already run out according to Yacano.

“The stamp cards can be picked up at any of the eight participating locations. This also makes it easier for the ice cream shops to simply stamp the card, and the customer is on their way,” she said.

The Ice Cream Trail is also designed to celebrate the area's dairy heritage.

“Chenango County has a long and proud agricultural history and dairy has always been an important part,” Yacano said, “We chose to highlight that through a summer initiative because ice cream is something everyone can enjoy.”

Once the challenge wraps up on September 23, they will hold a traditional raffle drawing to select winners. “Stay tuned to our Facebook page as we will be announcing the winners there,” Yacano said. Find the official Chenango County Planning Department's Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/ChenangoPlanning

“We are still finalizing details on some of the prizes but will announce the great prizes in the near future. It was great to see the support from our local businesses for the raffle prizes,” Yacano said.

The department has been tracking participation by the amount of cards given out and they also plan to request feedback from participants for ideas on how to grow the trail in future summers. With the trail already generating engagement, and stamp cards disappearing faster than expected, the Planning Department hopes this first year is just the beginning.

“We hope that this year's event is successful and continues to be an annual event for Chenango County,” said Yacano, “The possibilities are endless.”

More information about the Ice Cream Trail, a brochure, and digital map, can be found at: www.chenangocountyny.gov/234/Agriculture (be sure to scroll down)