Valpo Velvet ice cream shop could soon be named among the “Top 10 Indiana Places for Ice Cream,” and the Indiana Dunes is in the running for a spot among the “Top 10 Indiana Summer Must Do’s.”
The Top 10 lists are being put together by the Indiana Office of Tourism Development (IOTD). Both Valpo Velvet and the Indiana Dunes made the list of potential Top 10 places.
Now, it is up to people who visit the state tourism website -- www.VisitIndiana.com -- to pick the Top 10 winners. People can begin voting at 9 a.m. Friday, May 4. At that time, there will be a promotional image on the homepage that takes users to the voting section. People can also click on the new “Best of” section in the main navigation.
Voting closes at 11 a.m. on Thursday, May 10. The Top 10 lists will be announced the next day and will be published in the “Best of” section of www.VisitIndiana.com.
Indiana Dunes Tourism, the official tourism bureau of Porter County, is encouraging area residents to support Valpo Velvet and the Indiana Dunes by visiting the state tourism website and casting votes for them.
“We would like Valpo Velvet and the Indiana Dunes to get the recognition they deserve,” said Lorelei Weimer, executive director of Indiana Dunes Tourism.
“If Valpo Velvet and the Indiana Dunes make the Top 10 lists, it could also encourage people to visit and spend money in Porter County.”
Valpo Velvet, located at 55-57 W. Monroe St. in Valparaiso, has been making ice cream the exact same way for 65 years, by three generations of Brown family members. Although the five simple ingredients in the basic mix haven’t changed, unique new flavors have been added over the years. Valpo Velvet now makes 65 to 70 different flavors of ice cream, frozen yogurt, sherbet and sorbet.
As for the Indiana Dunes, it draws more than 3 million visitors each year. Dunes visitors can enjoy 15 miles of Lake Michigan beaches, towering sand dunes with breathtaking views of the lake and miles of wooded trails.