Ben & Jerry’s Hits the Skies
Ice Cream Maker Brings Giant Cone of Cherry Garcia
to Balloon Festivals Across the Country

Burlington, VT - Ben & Jerry’s brings a little bit of Vermont and a lot of Cherry Garcia to 16 hot air balloon festivals across the country from April to November this year. The ice cream company introduced its two hot air balloons last year with a special summer-long “Stop & Taste the Ice Cream” tour. The two balloons-- a traditional shape round balloon with a Vermont “Urban Pasture” scene and a special shape balloon in the form of a giant cone of Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia ice cream-had people everywhere stopping to watch as they flew high above 13 cities across the country.

"Ben & Jerry’s has traditionally relied upon fun and quirky ways to get noticed,” said Special Events Manager, Sarah Sparks. “The buzz created from spotting a giant floating ice cream cone crossing over the freeway is just our style."

Piloted by veteran balloon pilot, Paul Petrehn , the two hot air balloons also found time to make additional stops at traditional balloon festivals throughout the tour and then finished up the season with their first foray into the international balloon circuit at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.

"The Ben & Jerry’s balloons were a great hit last year on the tour and at the festivals. Kid’s and adults alike stopped us often to let us know how cool they were or that our balloons were their new favorites. This year should be just as much fun and we are very excited to get a chance to fly the Ben & Jerry’s balloons in all of these great festivals."

The five month festival tour this year begins in Atlanta at the Dogwood Festival in April, will be a part of the US National Hot Air Balloon Team Championships mid-way through in July, and will wind-up the tour with the Thunderbird Balloon Classic in Scottsdale in November. And of course they couldn’t miss flying high above the mesa again for their second visit to the annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.

As for 2002 and the jet-setting Ben & Jerry’s hot air balloons? You’ll have stay tuned... perhaps they’ll do Central Park again... or hit Hollywood or... maybe even work in a European Tour!

*Ben & Jerry’s produces a wide variety of super premium ice cream, ice cream novelties, low fat ice cream, low fat yogurt and sorbets using Vermont dairy products and high quality, all natural ingredients. The company is committed to using milk and cream that have not been treated with the synthetic hormone, rBGH. Ben & Jerry’s products are distributed nationwide and in selected foreign countries in supermarkets, grocery stores, convenience stores, franchise Ben & Jerry’s scoop shops, restaurants and other venues. For more information on Ben & Jerry’s, visit www.benjerry.com.

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