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Last year, New Yorkers fell in love with bomboloni—Italian donuts filled with custard, chocolate or marmalade—at the first-of-its-kind bombolone festival. Sure, the culinary passion might have been fueled by the fact that the event was free to attend, but there is, indeed, something about the sweet treat that revamps anyone's taste buds.
We are excited to exclusively report that the festival will once again take over the city. Hosted by Unregular Bakery alongside Underground Donut Tour, the extravaganza will take place on February 8, 2025 at Essex Market between 10am and 4pm.
Tickets for the event are already on sale right here and they are split into different tiers: there are 500 free passes available and, once those are sold out, you can opt for $5 or $10 tickets instead.
Attendees will, of course, indulge in tons of bomboloni but they will also get to experience live competitions among professionals delivering their very own versions of the pastry. A panel of chefs, journalists, food authors and content creators will be judging the competition, which will afford the winner a $1,000 cash prize and the coveted Bombolone Fest Award.
Given the success of last year's festival, we expect 2025's iteration of the happening to be even more exciting. How can it not be? The bombolone is one of the most iconic pastries within the Italian gastronomic canon and it is about time that folks on this side of the Atlantic start paying attention to it.
Just to be clear: in addition to lacking a hole in its middle, the bombolone is airier than its more widely recognized cousin, the donut ("ciambella" in Italian). That's the result of a slightly different leavening process. All in all, though, both foods are freaking delicious!