The popsicle is the epitome of childhood summertime nostalgia. From Push-Pops to flavored ice, nothing captures those lazy days when summer meant neighborhood games and swimming pools rather than internships quite like a good old-fashioned popsicle.
In an effort to recapture those days of minimal responsibility, Pleasant Pops, a company that has reinvented popsicles for the adult palette, is sponsoring the Popapalooza this Saturday, Apr. 9. This spring kickoff event will feature Pleasant Pop’s highly sought-after popsicles, performances by local musicians, free face painting, and magic shows. Through its co-sponsorship with the Mount Pleasant Business Association, Popapalooza is being held at Lamont Park in Mount Pleasant.
While Popapalooza may make you want to put on your floaties and head to the shallow end, Pleasant Pops’ creations not only satisfy those long-lost childhood tastes, they also bring an adult sophistication to the summer treat. With 40 original flavors like Peaches N’ Ginger, Carolina Sweet Tea, and Blueberry Pancake, it’s clear that these aren’t the bags of fluorescent-blue sugar you’d find in plastic bags in your home freezer (in fact, your childhood self would probably find them a little gross). These gourmet creations originated with much experimentation by Roger Horowitz and Brian Sykora, who founded the company during their junior year at UNC Chapel Hill.
In developing Pleasant Pops in D.C., Horowitz and Sykora made it part of their mission to support neighborhood farmers by using only locally-grown ingredients, and thus created their flavors around seasonal ingredients. Consequently, Poppapalooza will provide a great opportunity to promote green, sustainable business practices for those who don’t frequent Pleasant Pops’s tables at local farmers markets or their truck, Big Poppa.
So if you’re ready to enter popsicle adulthood and give up your Pleasant Pop virginity to the highly intriguing Guac Pop (Avacado Lime) or the Strawberry Rhubarb Pop, the wait is over. Popapalooza is taking the D.C. area by storm this Saturday, and you can indulge your inner child while bringing the ultimate kiddie treat into adult vogue.
