First day of spring: Freebies at Rita's, Dairy Queen

Posted: Mar 20, 2023 / 11:47 AM EDT

Updated: Mar 20, 2023 / 12:22 PM EDT

(WTAJ)– The first day of spring is here, which means longer sunny days, green trees, blooming flowers, and the one thing everyone looks forward to is free ice cream.

Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard along with Dairy Queen will be offering up free treats on Monday, March 20. The Meadows Original Frozen Custard in Hollidaysburg will be having a gift card special as well to celebrate.

This is the 31st year Rita’s has had their First Day of Spring celebration, according to a release from the company. Anyone who stops by will receive a free Italian ice of their choice and to make the celebration even more special, they released a new “Gummy Bear Ice” flavor.

Out of the 500+ Rita’s locations, they are expected to give away about one million cups. If you order through the Rita’s app, you’ll have a chance to win free Italian ice for a year with the promo code SPRING23.

“We’re excited to continue our beloved Italian Ice giveaway tradition on the First Day of Spring as we take pride in lifting the spirits of many of our fans across the country as spring means warmer weather is on its way,” CEO of Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard Linda Chadwick said. “We hope to see everyone enjoying their free ice at Rita’s on March 20, and encourage entering to win free ice for a year on the Rita’s app.”

Rita’s locations:

Altoona – 3415 Pleasant Valley Boulevard
State College – 1609 North Atherton Street
Bedford – 106 East Pitt Street

Meanwhile, for Dairy Queen’s “Free Cone Day,” folks can get one free small vanilla soft-serve cone complete with a curl on top. Monday also marks “Treat Szn” which is “the time of year when the weather warms, and the only things that should be cold are sweet treats that come in a cone or cup,” according to a release.

“We like to think of Free Cone Day as the beginning of our favorite season – treat season! As we welcome the first day of spring, we invite all fans to stop by a DQ restaurant, get their free cone and make great memories with friends and family,” executive vice president, of marketing at ADQ Maria Hokanson said.