Photo Credit: Lutz & Light Photography
When the Sundance Film Festival arrives in Boulder January 21–31, 2027, it'll bring an exciting mix of filmmakers, industry professionals, brands, sponsors, and film enthusiasts to Colorado. And with all those people comes plenty of entertaining, networking, celebrating, and opportunities to make an impression.
If you're planning a private screening reception, industry mixer, brand activation, VIP gathering, or corporate event during the festival, the Tiny Cookie Trolley offers a different kind of dessert catering.
From roaming cookies and cold brew to styled dessert displays and custom-branded gifts, dessert can be more than an item on the catering menu. It can be a thoughtful part of the guest experience, a design element, or a memorable way to bring your brand into the event.
Five Ways to Bring the Tiny Cookie Trolley to Your Event
Different events call for different kinds of hospitality. You might need something guests can enjoy while networking, a visually striking dessert display, or a thoughtful gift that keeps your brand top of mind after the event. Here are five ways to work the Tiny Cookie Trolley into your festival plans.
1. Roaming Milk & Cookies
A great fit for: Industry mixers, screening receptions, networking events, hospitality lounges, and cocktail-style gatherings.
Instead of asking guests to step away from conversations to find dessert, bring the treats directly to them.
The Roaming Milk & Cookies service features trays of bite-sized cookies circulated throughout your event, giving guests an easy, approachable treat they can enjoy while mingling.
For a festival crowd, I'd love to put a slightly different spin on the traditional milk-and-cookies pairing by offering cold brew coffee instead. Branded cookie bags can also be incorporated, giving guests a little something to take with them and adding another opportunity to feature your brand.
Photo Credit: Marissa Rose Photography | Venue: Catbird Hotel, Denver
2. Custom-Branded Cookie Boxes & VIP Gifts
A great fit for: VIP welcome gifts, press and media hospitality, sponsor appreciation, client gifting, speaker gifts, and production team treats.
Sometimes the best event experience is one guests get to take home. Custom cookie boxes are a thoughtful alternative to standard promotional merchandise, especially when you want to give recipients something they'll genuinely look forward to opening.
Branded packaging and a curated selection of cookies can make lovely welcome gifts, hotel-room deliveries, or special thank-yous for the people helping bring your event to life. They're also a great option when you want to offer something memorable without arranging a staffed catering experience.
Have VIP gifting or branded treats in mind? Get in touch to start talking about custom cookie boxes, packaging, and the details that will make them feel personal to your event.
3. Styled Dessert Tables
A great fit for: Private screening parties, sponsor receptions, VIP events, brand activations, and private dinners.
Dessert can do more than fill a spot on the catering menu. A thoughtfully styled display can become part of the room's overall design, create a natural gathering point, and give guests something worth photographing.
The Tiny Cookie Trolley menu goes well beyond cookies, with hand pies, brownies, bars, gourmet Rice Krispies, and whoopie pies. That variety makes it possible to build a dessert spread with a mix of familiar favorites and more unexpected flavors.
Displays can be styled around your event's aesthetic, brand identity, or creative concept, with the desserts themselves contributing to the overall look.
Want to see what could be on the menu? Explore the Tiny Cookie Trolley dessert menu for a look at the cookies, hand pies, brownies, bars, whoopie pies, and more.
Photo Credit: MKR Photos | Venue: Baldoria on the Water, Lakewood
4. Custom-Themed Desserts & Creative Concepts
A great fit for: Film-inspired parties, themed receptions, immersive brand experiences, private celebrations, and events with a strong creative direction.
Have a concept that calls for something a little more specific? I'm always up for exploring ideas that go beyond a standard dessert spread.
That might mean a themed dessert display, custom flavor ideas inspired by a film or brand, desserts that tie into a particular color palette, or even on-theme service attire for select events. The goal is to create something that feels connected to the event rather than simply adding a few themed decorations to the dessert table.
I love a good creative challenge, and I'm happy to talk through what's possible.
Have an idea that doesn't fit neatly into one of these five options? I'd love to hear what you're planning. Let's see what we can dream up.
5. A Branded, Interactive Dessert Cart
A great fit for: Brand activations, sponsor hospitality, VIP receptions, corporate events, and parties where you want to give guests something to interact with.
The dessert cart offers more than a place to serve sweets. It creates an experience and a natural point of interaction for guests. The cart can be customized with branded details, signage, and a curated dessert menu that fits the occasion.
It's a particularly nice option for brands that want their presence to feel thoughtful and integrated into the event rather than like another promotional setup.
Guests get something delicious, and your brand gets a memorable moment.
Photo Credit: Coast to Canyon Media | Venue: The Eddy Hotel, Golden
Good Desserts Are Important. Good Hospitality Is Everything.
Knowing how to show up for an event is just as important as what’s on the menu.
I've worked around many high-profile individuals and understand that different gatherings call for different approaches. Sometimes guests appreciate a little personality and interaction. Other times, the best service is discreet, attentive, and practically invisible. Knowing how to read the room, respect the event team, and make guests feel comfortable is part of the job.
As a small, independent business, I take a personal interest in every event I accept. You'll work directly with me throughout the planning process, and I'll bring the same attention to detail and professionalism to your event that I bring to the desserts themselves.
I'm also a registered Friend of the Sundance Film Festival, and I'm excited to be part of the local business community welcoming the festival to Colorado.
Planning an Event During Sundance? Let's Talk.
The festival runs for ten days, but event dates and vendor capacity are limited. The Tiny Cookie Trolley is a small operation, and booking one full-service event on a particular day will often mean that's the only event I can accommodate that day.
Custom packaging, branded details, and specialty dessert concepts also take time to develop, so it's worth starting the conversation early, even if some of your event details are still taking shape.
I'm now welcoming inquiries for January 2027 events in Boulder and the surrounding area. If you're an event producer coordinating multiple gatherings, an agency planning a brand activation, or a host putting together an intimate private reception, I'd love to hear what you're working on.
About the Tiny Cookie Trolley
The Tiny Cookie Trolley is a woman-owned, Denver-based dessert catering business founded by Kristin Smith. Before launching the business, I spent six years working in catering, four years running a home bakery, and two years teaching high school culinary arts. Each chapter shaped the way I approach dessert today: with a deep appreciation for nostalgic flavors, a curiosity for creative twists, and an understanding of how food brings people together.
The menu spans far beyond cookies, with hand pies, whoopie pies, brownie bites, bars, and Rice Krispies alongside interactive dessert carts and roaming service. Every offering is built around the same idea: desserts should taste incredible, feel thoughtfully presented, and give people a reason to remember the experience.
