06/09/2026
With our cart set up just outside the entrance of the beautiful Agnes Reynolds Jackson Arboretum, our Old West End Festival kicked off on Friday night with many ice cream lovers stopping by. It seemed a signal of a wonderful weekend to follow, as the experience has been for many years.
Late Saturday afternoon I received a text from my husband - he was working with a Swanky team member at the Arboretum so I could be at the shop preparing more ice cream. Jay is not easily unsettled, but he said there had been several serious fights. I offered for him to close whenever he wanted. His immediate response was, “yes please.”
Being a mobile food vendor, we're no strangers to large crowds, so I was concerned... he wouldn't be willing to shut it down over something insignificant. And moments later, before he even had a chance to start packing up, multiple gunshots rang out and my husband and our employee - though physically unharmed - witnessed the shooting that injured 12 people. This is something you cannot unsee.
We very much appreciate all the calls, messages, comments, check-ins and more from so many of you wanting to know if we were safe. We can't express enough how much that means. We hope you can understand the time it took to write this message - we have taken the past couple of days to process while holding our loved ones tight.
I make ice cream because I want to help people make memories. Though this weekend was - and will continue to be - difficult and overwhelming, there are far, far more good memories than bad of this historic neighborhood and its beloved Festival. I love visiting the Old West End. I care about the food truck and small business community. I'm grateful to the festival organizers, and you - our friends and supporters. I trust that many positive memories are ahead and deeply appreciate all the people working on solutions to make sure incidents like this cease.
It takes a village, and I remain glad that the Old West End welcomes Swanky Scoops to theirs.
❤ - Alissa
