The Pitch‘s Sugar Rush fixes your sweet-tooth cravings

When hundreds of adults get together for the express purpose of eating too much sugar, things are bound to get weird — in a good way.

Such is the premise of The Pitch‘s annual Sugar Rush event, a sweet celebration in which you’re encouraged not only to eat dessert first, but exclusively. More than a dozen shops and restaurants fill the Guild (1621 Locust) Friday, February 26, with everything from gelato to homemade Pop Tarts to funnel cake. And you get the opportunity to vote on your favorite and crown Kansas City’s new sugar queen or king.

Here’s what sugary goodness awaits you at this year’s Sugar Rush.

Blue Bird Bistro (1700 Summit), the quaint, Westside farm-to-table café, knows all about vegetarian comfort food. Anyone who has sampled its brunch menu can testify. Blue Bird plans to bring vegan orange cake topped with chocolate ganache and toasted almonds, as well as a non-vegan chocolate version.

Available in multiple locations, Boozy Botanicals can dress up any cocktail. These handcrafted simple syrups come in fancy-sounding flavors, such as rose and hibiscus, that can make any martini a little more exotic. The multipurpose mixers also taste good in sparkling water, tea or coffee.

Funnel Cake Truck owner Michael Bradbury almost won the Sugar Rush competition two years ago, and this year he’s angling for the crown. Offering everyone’s favorite drizzlings of deep-fried dough mixed with decadent surprises — such as deep-fried Oreos, Twinkies and Snickers bars — Bradbury also has what he says are “top-secret” treats in the works.

“I’m planning to bring all of the deep-fried goodies,” he says.

In the five years since he started his mobile funnel cakery, Bradbury has gained national attention for his indulgent inventions, including winning Food Network’s Cake Wars last year.

Heirloom Bakery & Hearth (401 East 63rd Street) has delighted east Brookside with its croissants, scones, doughnuts and other pastries since its much-anticipated opening last year. In addition to some of the charming café’s homemade chocolate pop tarts with raspberry filling and a chocolate-hazelnut glaze, expect to encounter a few other sugary surprises.

Scott Meinke, who owns Heirloom with his wife, Kate, says they’re planning to go big at their first Sugar Rush with salted oatmeal cream pies, goat cheese cheesecake bars with lemon curd, and rosemary-caramel honey bites.

“It will be a good chance to meet with people and other vendors and hang out and have a good time,” Meinke says. “It’s our first year to do it, so we’re looking forward to it.”

Paciugo (5620 West 116th Place, Leawood) may have been born in Dallas, but the popular gelato stop is about as authentic as they come. The founders are third-generation gelato makers from Italy who import all of their ingredients from their homeland. The only exception is the fruit in the sorbets, which comes from a farmers market in Dallas.

“It’s a little more expensive, but it’s definitely worth it,” says Gary Marshall, owner of Paciugo in Leawood. “It’s real, honest-to-goodness Italian gelato.”

Marshall says he’s bringing his shop’s most popular flavor, Mediterranean sea-salt caramel, to Sugar Rush. He’ll also mix up several varieties from Paciugo’s catalog of more than 400 flavors the day before the event. As if you needed another reason to try it: Gelato contains 70 percent less fat than ice cream.

Other Sugar Rush participants include Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant, Crane Brewing Co., Foo’s Fabulous Frozen Custard, Funky Monkey Corn Co., Garza’s Goodies Chocolates & Confections, Grace’s Best Cookies, Waldo Pizza and Hungry Monkey Party Bites.

In other words, skip lunch, put on your eatin’ pants and let’s get weird.