National Ice Cream Day Deals & Freebies 2026

Sophia Rose9 hours agoLast Updated: July 18, 2026

The freezer aisle gets a lot more interesting every third Sunday in July, and this year is no exception. National Ice Cream Day falls on Sunday, July 19, 2026, and dozens of chains, grocery stores, delivery apps, and even pet shops are marking the occasion with free scoops, buy-one-get-one offers, and short-window discount codes.

If you are hunting for the best national ice cream day deals, the tricky part is not finding one offer. It is keeping track of the dozens that are live at the same time, each with its own dates, apps, and fine print.

This guide rounds up every confirmed 2026 deal in one place, organized by how you actually redeem them: free with no purchase, free through a rewards app, BOGO offers, percentage-off codes, delivery app specials, and even a section for pet parents.

Every listing below includes the exact dates, the redemption method, and whether a membership is required, so you can build a plan before the day arrives instead of scrambling through ten different apps on July 19.

Toward the end, you will also find a quick decision guide for choosing between deals when a chain overlaps with another, a short history of how National Ice Cream Day started, and answers to the questions people search most often.

Key Takeaways

National Ice Cream Day 2026 is Sunday, July 19, the third Sunday of National Ice Cream Month.
Dairy Queen, Del Taco, and Stop & Shop all run their deals across a multi-day window (July 13 to 23), not just one day.
Most free items require a free rewards account or app download, not a purchase, though a handful (Chuck E. Cheese, Sky Zone, Stop & Shop) need no purchase at all.
Delivery apps like Gopuff and DoorDash are running pint bundle deals that beat most in-store prices per ounce.
Offers vary by location and franchise ownership. Always confirm participation with your local store before making a special trip.

The National Ice Cream Day Deal Timeline
Completely Free, No Purchase Necessary
Free With a Rewards Account or App
Buy One, Get One Deals
Percentage-Off and Promo Code Deals
Delivery App Deals
Deals for Dogs and Pets
Sweepstakes and Giveaways
Which Deal Is Right for You
The History of National Ice Cream Day
Tips for Stacking National Ice Cream Day Deals
Frequently Asked Questions

Did You Know? National Ice Cream Month was first proclaimed in July 1984, and the third Sunday of that month became National Ice Cream Day. California leads the country in ice cream production, with Indiana close behind, which is part of why so many national chains treat this week as a full-blown marketing event rather than a single day.

The National Ice Cream Day Deal Timeline

One reason these deals are easy to miss is that they do not all start or end on July 19. Some, like the Dairy Queen Dilly Bar offer, run for a full week. Others, like the Del Taco shake deal, only overlap the final three days. Here is how the biggest windows line up.

The takeaway: if you only shop on July 19 itself, you will still catch most of these offers, but a few of the best ones (Stop & Shop, Potbelly, Graeter’s) reward people who plan across the whole week instead of a single day.

Completely Free, No Purchase Necessary

These are the easiest deals on the list. No app, no minimum spend, just show up on the day.

Chuck E. Cheese

No purchase required. A free small cup of Dippin’ Dots on July 19 when you show the digital coupon available on the Chuck E. Cheese website. Limit one per person, participating locations only.

Sky Zone

No purchase required. Free Mini Melts ice cream while supplies last at participating trampoline parks, no jump ticket required to claim.

Dippin’ Dots

No purchase required. Free mini cups of Dippin’ Dots, any flavor, during a two-hour window at participating franchise locations. Call your local store to confirm the exact time.

Stop & Shop

Free signup only. A free 1.5-quart tub of Stop & Shop brand ice cream, 15 flavors to choose from, by checking in at an in-store Savings Station kiosk with a free GO Rewards account. Valid July 17–23, while supplies last.

Free With a Rewards Account or App

This is the biggest category, and joining most of these programs takes under a minute and costs nothing.

Dairy Queen

Rewards required. Free Dilly Bar with any DQ App order of $1 or more. Redeemable only through mobile ordering, one time per account. Valid July 13–19.

Friendly’s

Rewards required. Free cone or dish for Fan Club Rewards members, redeemable in-store, online, or for carryout. No separate purchase needed. Valid July 19.

Marble Slab Creamery

Rewards required. A free small cup of ice cream for loyalty members, no purchase necessary. Joining the free rewards program on the spot still qualifies. Valid July 19.

16 Handles

Rewards required. A free cup worth up to $5, redeemed through the 16 Handles rewards app. Valid July 19.

Buy One, Get One Deals

Del Taco

BOGO, rewards required. Buy one, get one free regular shake in classic flavors, exclusive to Del Yeah! Rewards members. Valid July 17–19.

Häagen-Dazs Shops

BOGO, rewards required. Buy one, get one free sundae for rewards members, valid on the Caramel Cone, Chocolate Dipped Strawberry, and Hot Fudge & Caramel sundaes. Valid July 19.

Cold Stone Creamery

BOGO, rewards required. A buy-one-get-one-free Creation for members of the free My Cold Stone Club Rewards program. Check local participation.

Sub Zero Nitrogen Ice Cream

BOGO. A BOGO deal from 2 to 4 p.m. as part of the brand’s anniversary celebration. Utah locations are running the offer a day earlier, on July 18.

Percentage-Off and Promo Code Deals

Brand	Deal	How to Redeem	Dates
Target	Buy one, get one 50% off ice cream	In-store and online, no code needed	Through July 18
Graeter’s	10% off online orders	Code ICECREAMDAY10 at checkout	July 17–19
Dippin’ Dots (online)	25% off online orders	Code nicd26 at checkout	July 19 only
KitchenAid	Up to 20% off select countertop appliances, including the Ice Cream Maker Attachment	Code ICECREAM at checkout	July 16–21
Potbelly	Half-price shakes after 2 p.m. Friday and all day Saturday and Sunday	Potbelly Rewards app, $5 minimum purchase	Through August 2
sweetFrog	50 bonus rewards points	Spend $25 or more as a rewards member, one bonus per account	July 15–31
Cumberland Farms	$1 off any pint of Ultimate Scoops	Text SCOOPS to 64827	Ultimate Scoops Sunday
Baskin-Robbins	31% off all scoops (Celebrate 31 Special)	Rewards members, in-app or in-shop	July 31

Delivery App Deals

If you would rather stock the freezer than chase a scoop shop, the delivery apps are running some of the sharpest per-pint pricing of the week.

Gopuff

Two Ben & Jerry’s pints for $8, two Halo Top pints for $10, and 30% off Snickers and Twix ice cream bar multipacks. FAM members can also get select pints from Magnum, Ben & Jerry’s, and Breyers for $3.50 each. DashMart adds $5 off two Blue Bunny Soft Pints or Mini Swirls. Valid July 13–19 (DashMart deal runs July 12–26).

DoorDash

$5 off two Ben & Jerry’s pints on grocery and convenience orders. DashPass members get an extra $5 off two pints from participating Unilever ice cream brands. Valid the week of July 19.

Deals for Dogs and Pets

Petco

Rewards required. A free Ben & Jerry’s doggie ice cream cup for dogs, one per person while supplies last. Requires a free Petco Perks membership and asking for the promo at checkout. Valid July 19.

Sweepstakes and Giveaways

Not instant, but worth a low-effort entry if you are already ordering ice cream this month.

Carvel: Dessert Disaster Giveaway

Submit a photo of your most disappointing frozen treat for a chance to be one of 500 winners of a gift card for a free small Carvelanche. Enter by July 24.

Cold Stone Creamery Instagram Sweepstakes

Follow along on Instagram for a chance to win weekly digital e-gift cards during Ice Cream Week. Runs July 13–22.

Bruster’s SWEETstakes

One entry per day for a chance to win free ice cream for the rest of the 2026 season. Runs July 1–31.

Which Deal Is Right for You

With this many offers running at once, the fastest way to decide is to ask what you actually want: a completely free treat right now, the best value on a pint for later, or a discount on a bigger order.

If you want a free scoop today with no purchase, head to Chuck E. Cheese, Sky Zone, or Stop & Shop. If a quick app signup is fine, Dairy Queen, Friendly’s, Marble Slab, 16 Handles, and Petco all cover that ground. If you are stocking the freezer for later, Gopuff, DoorDash, and the Target BOGO deal offer the best price per pint. Still craving more after that? Layer a BOGO deal from Del Taco, Häagen-Dazs, or Cold Stone on top.

The History of National Ice Cream Day

National Ice Cream Day is not a marketing invention. It goes back to a 1984 presidential proclamation from Ronald Reagan, who designated July as National Ice Cream Month and the third Sunday of that month as National Ice Cream Day, citing how widely the treat was enjoyed across the country. Since then, participation has grown from a handful of local shops to a coordinated event involving national chains, grocery stores, and even delivery apps.

California produces more ice cream than any other state, with Indiana not far behind, which helps explain why so many national brands lean into this particular week rather than treating it as a minor promotional date. For most chains, National Ice Cream Day now functions less like a single-day sale and more like a week-long loyalty push designed to get customers to download an app or join a rewards program they will keep using after the holiday ends.

Tips for Stacking National Ice Cream Day Deals

Join rewards programs a day early

Most apps, including Dairy Queen and Cold Stone, take under a minute to set up. Signing up on July 18 means you are not troubleshooting an app while standing in line the next day.

Call ahead for franchise-run deals

Offers from Baskin-Robbins, Dippin’ Dots, and other franchise-heavy brands can vary by store because individual owners choose whether to participate. A quick call saves a wasted trip.

Screenshot the fine print

Minimum purchase amounts and redemption windows change fast during deal week. Keep a screenshot of the offer terms in case a cashier or app glitch disputes it.

Compare delivery bundles before you drive

Gopuff and DoorDash pint bundles often beat the in-store price per ounce, especially once a delivery fee is offset by a multi-pint discount.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is National Ice Cream Day in 2026?

National Ice Cream Day falls on Sunday, July 19, 2026. It is always the third Sunday of July, which is also National Ice Cream Month.

Do I have to buy something to get free ice cream?

It depends on the brand. Chuck E. Cheese, Sky Zone, and Stop & Shop offer free items with no purchase required. Dairy Queen and several others require a small minimum purchase, usually $1, placed through their app.

Are National Ice Cream Day deals the same at every location?

Not always. Many ice cream chains are independently owned franchises, so participation and exact offer terms can vary by store. It is worth checking a brand’s app or calling ahead before making a special trip.

What is the best free ice cream deal for July 19, 2026?

For a true no-purchase freebie, Stop & Shop’s free 1.5-quart tub through its GO Rewards program offers the most ice cream for zero dollars. For a fast, no-fuss option, Chuck E. Cheese and Sky Zone require no membership at all.

Can I get National Ice Cream Day deals through delivery apps?

Yes. Gopuff and DoorDash are both running pint bundle discounts and cart credits through the week of July 19, which can be a better value than an in-store trip if you are stocking up for later.

Final Thoughts

National ice cream day deals are worth planning for rather than stumbling into, simply because so many of the best ones run across a full week instead of a single Sunday. Set up the free rewards accounts a day early, keep this list handy, and you can realistically hit two or three offers without paying full price for a single scoop.

Whichever deal you choose, July 19, 2026 is as good an excuse as any to treat the whole week like National Ice Cream Day.

Sources and Further Reading