If you eat ice cream this Sunday—high temperature: 86 degrees—you’ll be celebrating a national food holiday. Honestly, National Ice Cream Day could take place on any stiflingly hot DC summer day, but as it happens, it’s July 16. Here’s the scoop on free cones, ice cream-making events, and other local specials.
Dairy Queen
Multiple locations
It’s far from a local business, but if you get a hankering for DQ this Sunday, you’ll be able to use the chain’s app to get $1 off dipped cones at the more than a dozen locations in the Virginia suburbs and Montgomery County.
Dolcezza
Multiple locations
Sunday, buy one small gelato and get another one free from this local Argentinian-gelato heavyweight with storefronts in Dupont Circle, Penn Quarter, Bethesda, Fairfax, and the Hirshhorn Museum.
Fairfax County Libraries
Multiple locations
Northern Virginia libraries are honoring National Ice Cream Day with several kid-oriented activities on Sunday. Pohick Library in Burke will host an event with games, crafts, and frozen treats between 2 and 5 PM. At George Mason Library in Annandale, kids 6 to 12 can learn about the chemistry of ice cream making at 2:30 PM. City of Fairfax Library has an ice cream-themed preschool storytime at 10:30 AM, and kids can eat sundaes at an ice cream social at Sherwood Library in Alexandria at 3 PM.
Here’s the Scoop
2824 Georgia Ave., NW
On Sunday, this Black-owned ice cream parlor near Howard—with a range of dairy and non-dairy flavors— is offering free soft serve. They’re asking for donations to a scholarship fund for DC Public Schools students. More information will be available on the shop’s Instagram.
Ice Cream Jubilee
1407 T St., NW; 301 Water St., SE; 4238 Wilson Blvd., Arlington
Loyalty card holders—enroll here—get a $1 scoop on National Ice Cream Day at these speciality ice cream parlors off 14th Street, in Navy Yard, and in Ballston. And the first 50 customers of the day get a free single scoop on a sugar cone. Try a special summer flavor like blueberry pie or caramel popcorn.
Nicecream
2831 Clarendon Blvd., Arlington
This Clarendon shop, where ice creams are frozen on the spot with liquid nitrogen, will have a free toppings bar and free cold brew to accompany its ice cream on Sunday. Seasonal flavors include Strawberry Fields, sweet corn, and milk-chocolate chunk.
Park Ridge Creamery
3741 Hamilton St., Ellicott City
This ice cream shop on a quaint side street in historic Ellicott City will offer a variety of to-be-determined specials for National Ice Cream Day.
