This ain’t your average neighborhood ice cream man. Meet Matt Allen.
Matt Allen, music’s favorite ice cream man
Matt Allen, music’s favorite Ice Cream Man
In 2004, Matt bought a 1969 Chevy van and hit the streets of Ashland, Oregon. He had a camera, a sense of adventure…and a lot of ice cream. So much, in fact, that he began giving away his leftover inventory at the end of the summer. It started with an ice cream social at a park in Ashland, where the giveaway goodies garnered local media attention. Wheels began turning; and I don’t just mean those on the truck. An idea was born, and Matt headed back to his hometown of Long Beach, CA to set his plan in motion. His mission: to give away 500,000 units of ice cream across the US.
The Ice Cream Man crashed the music scene in a big way when he was given backstage access to Lollapalooza 2006 in Chicago. As he began popping up backstage at other festivals, from Bonnaroo in TN to Coachella in CA, Rolling Stone posed the Rock Festival Question of the Summer: Who Is the Ice Cream Man? “He has no stated purpose: He just pulls his ice cream truck up gives away free popsicles to roadies, hangers-on and people like Mike Skinner and Jack White.”
“I want to give away ice cream,” Matt states on Ice Cream Man’s website. “It’s that simple. I can’t be the only one who thinks this is a good idea. Why not bring all of these like-minded people together to do great things?”
Five years, four national tours, and over 300,000 free ice creams later, Ice Cream Man has come to represent the power of a dream. This year, Ice Cream Man will cover ground at more than a dozen music festivals, bringing treats, posting concert reviews and putting smiles on thousands of faces. What was once a one-man job has become an international operation, with over 100 volunteers and a growing list of sponsors, business partners and crew members committed to the idea of free ice cream for all.
Matt’s reasons behind free ice cream?
1. Free ice cream makes people happy
2. Because I know there’s a way I can give away hundreds of thousands of free ice creams
3. It’s the best job in the world (I think)
4. Hopefully, it’ll inspire and motivate people to get out and do stuff, like fulfilling their dreams.
Pretty COOL stuff, huh?
What would YOU do if you had an old Chevy van and a dream?
Our ice cream man is a bit creepy. We live close to a park so he is always around in the summer. Thanks for stopping by my blog earlier.
http://www.AMomsPointOfView.com
Ice cream…good. Creepy…not so good! I’m enjoying your blog posts!
This is the best! I’m dropping in from the AtoZ Challenge to say that I’ve put a link to your blog on my post today. http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-iK
I’m honored, Rosie! What a beautiful blog you have. Thank you. I will be popping by again to get my fill on All Things British, and to check out more of your reviews. 🙂
That’s really cool. Neat story!
Thanks for stopping by.
that’s awesome! i used to run after the ice cream man everyday in the summer when i was little!
That’s a memory we don’t really forget – like Pavlovian conditioning! 🙂
Very cool! And if i had a van, i’d travel the country visiting certain online friends and helping them — we only get to do that once a year now.
Sounds like a great plan!
Our Ice-Cream man plays my song all the time. But I can’t respond right now. Too many calories that will put another dimple on my wide arse.
Groan, I know what you mean! But the heat of the summer sometimes dictates it. Thanks for popping by!
I’ve never heard of this dude until reading your post, but he sounds fun! And I am very envious of him getting all those VIP passes. haha
Seriously. Lucky guy!
A Chevy and a dream? Deliver items to people who need them That’s what we do for our school outreach program. Just stopping by for the A-Z Challenge. Please check us out and sign up to follow if
you like what you see. Juliet atCity
Muse Country Muse
Sounds like a wonderful venture, Juliet! Love the name of your blog, and your poems are fab. I will stop by again during the month. Cheers!