Howell Melon Ice Cream Tradition Continues
August 9, 2024
Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com
A special one-time-of-year treat is returning as the ever-popular Howell Melon ice cream tradition continues.
Howell Melon Ice Cream is a long-standing tradition as part of the annual Howell Melon Festival, set August 16th through 18th. Pre-orders are currently being accepted through Sunday afternoon at www.Howellmelonicecream.com.
Howell Rotary Club Volunteer Christy Conn also serves on the Howell Board of Education. She tells WHMI the ice cream sales are Howell Rotary’s largest fundraiser of the year and proceeds go toward various youth programs and other community service projects.
Conn said they have thousands of hand-packed cups available for sale on courthouse lawn during Melonfest weekend but right now, they have hundreds of family-size containers available for pre-order and pick-up. The cups to be sold at the festival were hand-packed by volunteers during the Livingston County United Way’s Annual Day of Caring that took place on Wednesday.
Conn said people look forward to the ice cream every summer and the Rotary Club actually has a patent on the melon flavoring, which comes from Howell tradition years ago. She said they “take the responsibility of being stewards of the recipe very seriously and want to make sure that it’s available to the community now and for years to come”.
It was initially developed by the Frank Spagnuolo family that had a soda fountain, ice cream, and general store in downtown Howell. When the business sold to the Beyrle and Hougaboom families, the tradition continued. Howell Rotary Club picked up the Howell Melon ice cream production and sales when Spagnuolo’s permanently closed. The ice cream is now produced only once a year by Guernsey Dairy in Northville, specifically for the Howell Rotary Club and Howell Melon Festival.
Melon ice cream will also will be sold at Jonna’s Market at M-59 and Michigan Avenue in Howell, as well as the location off Chilson Road in Genoa Township, during the festival weekend. However, Conn cautioned that it’s first-come, first-serve and they typically sell out by Sunday afternoon.
Conn added they’re especially excited as this marks their 100th anniversary. She said Howell Rotary has been a club for 100 years being founded in 1924 and they celebrated their centennial anniversary earlier this year. Conn added they appreciate all of the support during their largest fundraiser so they can turn around and give back to the community.
The proceeds from the ice cream sales support area youth initiatives, such as Howell High School Interact Club, Literacy Programs, Boy Scout Troop 362, Cub Scout Pack 365, Howell Rotary Club Foundation, Scholarships, Kids Camps, Student Exchange Program, Youth Leadership Training, and Howell Rotary Club programs.
The link for pre-orders is provided. More information is also available on the Howell Rotary Club’s Facebook page.