After this long, cold winter, it’s clear we’re in need of some warm weather. Tuesday, March 19 is a date to look forward to, after all, it’s the first day of spring. It marks the start of what is arguably the best season (unless you suffer from allergies). The sun comes out and stays out for longer, it’s not too hot or too cold, and you can actually enjoy being outside. Aside from a nice iced coffee, what goes perfectly with chilling outside in the sun? Ice cream. To push this even further, what’s better than regular ice cream? Free (!!!) ice cream. To celebrate, Dairy Queen will be hosting its annual Free Cone Day giveaway, taking place on the first day of spring. 

How can I get a free cone at Dairy Queen?

“Is it really the first day of spring if we don’t have Free Cone Day??” wrote the fast food chain on its Instagram post announcing the giveaway.  

To claim your free cone, simply go to a Dairy Queen location on March 19. No other purchase is necessary. The cone being offered is a small vanilla soft serve cone, featuring the iconic DQ curl on the top. This may come as a disappointment to the chocolate lovers. Sorry, vanilla ice cream is just superior.

DQ’s annual giveaway is a fan favorite, with many anticipating the date. Everyone loves free things, but there’s something symbolic about ringing in the warm weather with ice cream. You can go with friends and make a day out of it. Plus, Dairy Queen just has the best ice cream.

The free offer is valid at participating locations across the country, and while supplies last. Those cones go fast, so don’t be late! There’s also a limit of one cone per person per day, so you unfortunately can't get more than one.

Is there anywhere else I can get free ice cream?

While no other ice cream chains have announced their Free Cone Day this year, some chains have participated in free ice cream on the first day of spring in the past. 

Last year, Rita’s Italian Ice and Frozen Custard offered free Italian ice on the first day of spring. It’s a little bit different than ice cream, but it’s a free treat, so who cares?

Ben and Jerry’s also has an annual free cone day — a tradition since 1979. Last year, theirs landed on April 3 so, we can speculate that this year’s will be around the first week of April.