2 Easter sweet sales planned this weekend in Petaluma

Easter festivities usually involve food, even if it’s only a random hardboiled egg snatched from your kid’s Easter egg basket. But more likely, you’ll be looking for something substantial and more sweet. Rest assured, there are better local options than the sickly sweet Peeps. Both Mariposa Ice Creamery and Bert’s Desserts will hold spring warehouse sales this weekend.

I know it’s not even summer yet, but ice cream is a year-round staple as far as I’m concerned. Plus, this weekend is likely Mariposa Ice Creamery’s last warehouse sale until the fall. They are nearly booked solid this summer with events and catering gigs. It might be September, or even October, before you can restock on these flavors. Get over to 431 Payran on Friday, April 19, from 5 to 8 p.m. for the best selection, and Saturday, April 20, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., if there is anything left.

Flavors should be posted to Mariposa’s Facebook page by now, but the line will be long enough that you’ll have time to decide on your order once you get there. Owner Pilar received a special request from a gravely ill customer for black licorice, so she is making a special batch, breaking her “only in the fall” rule for this flavor. I have had it before and even as a non-licorice fan, this ice cream is excellent.

I was lucky enough to get an advanced preview of a new version of Mariposa’s cookies and cream, which replaces standard Oreos with Lemon Oreos. I also may have eaten it so fast that I forgot to even take a photo. I would like to say the quart was consumed in one sitting, however I completely forgot to sit. Instead I stood over the container, spooning it into my ice cream hole as fast as I could while barely respecting my ice cream headache threshold. This is possibly Mariposa’s best flavor ever, although to be fair, I seem to say that about whichever flavor of Mariposa I’m currently devouring.

If Mariposa has any ice cream sandwiches left, I highly recommend those too. They are the perfect marriage of Mariposa’s ice cream and True Delicious’ cookies. And speaking of True Delicious, which shares kitchen space with Mariposa, I heard that Mariposa is in possession of 20 flourless chocolate cakes from True Delicious. They plan to top them with ice cream. I had the pleasure of sampling a similar collaborative ice cream cake around Valentine’s Day and would grab one of these too.

For all your Easter Sunday sweets needs, Bert’s Desserts holds its annual Easter sale on Saturday, April 20, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the 501 Lakeville St. kitchen. From chocolate covered Oreos and Nutter Butters to the best peanut butter cups on the planet, Bert’s has Easter sweets dialed in. It is highly recommended that you place orders ahead of time as Bert sells out every year. Kitchen mates Awesome Bars and Golden State Pickle Works will join Bert for the sale. Golden State took home a bunch of awards at last fall’s Harvest Fair, and for good reason. From slaw to spring “pickles” (radishes), everything in their line is clean, nutritious and delicious, even the kimchi, which I normally avoid. Also joining in the sale will Petaluma Creamery, another of our favorite local creameries, as well as the Bagel Mill, giving a sneak peeks of what they plan to offer at its soon-to-open shop on Western Avenue.