Taken at the very first Paradise City Creamery pOp up. May 2019.
I started Paradise City Creamery because I believed I could build something that reflected back to me and our Vegas community all of the potential I believed it had.
After years of working in the adult industry, politicking on the internet, and community organizing I was (and still am) obsessed with the magic of Sex Workers and how much of our culture and influence has actually inspired this town.
Though, I can never understand how sex is marketed in every nook and cranny of Las Vegas yet the people in the business of providing pleasure services are still demonized, criminalized and severely underrepresented.
Without Sex Workers, there is no Las Vegas.
Don’t believe me, Google Block 16. And please, do yourself a favor and read more than the Wiki or chintzy blogs or articles written by men. I recommend the UNLV 2012 thesis "So Much for Fond Five-Dollar Memories": Prostitution in Las Vegas, 1905-1955 written by Marie Katherine Rowley. I don’t know if Marie is or was in the industry, but I will say that I’m a big fan of her thesis which reads as an expose.
So, why ice cream?
Ice cream was a hobby that I got into for two reasons.
1. Because I have a severe dairy and gluten intolerance but I loooooove a bougie dessert. And for years there were little to no options available when it came to anything dairy free and gluten free. Except sorbet.
2. My husband at the time, was recently sober, and we wanted to spend time in places that catered to our night owl life style but didn’t revolve around booze. So we’d bop around LV exploring every dessert den and ice cream shop, in search of high-end dairy free / gluten free indulgence and an experiential vibe. The results were dismal.
Being the overly ambitious Aquarian that I am, holla if you know the type, there comes a point with every hobby where I consider whether or not I want to monetize it. And when I thought about the ice cream I was making, I saw it as this glorious medium to invite people in and tell a bigger story.
It made perfect sense.
Here I was sitting on all this experience. 10 years of restaurant service, followed by 10 years of Sex Work, with a knack for extravagance, and a newly acquired skill for crafting plant based ice cream.
Really, what else was I suppose do?!
On Saturday, May 15, we celebrate 2 years of @paradisecitycreamery working toward my vision of a creamier, dreamier Las Vegas. This vision includes:
Conscious Indulgence
Celebration
Inclusion
Giving Back
In the few years it's taken to get here, I am incredibly grateful for all the likeminded people we've attracted, who also share in this vision. It really does take a village, and PCC is infinitely cooler and more fun because of the imagination and dedication of the incredible people we work with.
I am strong proponent that visibility helps dismantle stigma. And I feel really fortunate to own and operate a business that centers celebration and giving back to orgs and mutual aids that support Sex Worker, LGBTQ+ and BIPOC people.
I'm excited for our contributions to continue growing as our business does!
There are many ways for you to help us in our mission and I invite you to visit our website where you can reserve flavors for pick-up (shipping coming soon!) or order $WAG (which does ship!) 100% of $WAG profits are given directly to local mutual aids and orgs.
Thank you for all of your solidarity, allyship and supprt!
Cheers to being the pleasure you wish to see in the world.
Xxo, Val