Metro Detroit spots celebrate first day of spring with free ice cream, Italian ice
Need more enticement? How does free sound?
Marking spring's arrival are free offers from Dairy Queen and Rita's Italian Ice.
Here are the free deals:
Participating Dairy Queen non-mall locations welcome the arrival of spring with its annual Free Cone Day. Customers can receive a free small Dairy Queen (DQ) vanilla cone. The offer runs all day and is limited to one per person while supplies last and not valid on delivery or mobile orders. Dairy Queen's website lists 157 Michigan locations.
Participating DQ locations also will host a "Dip it for Kids" to benefit Corewell Health Children's hospital. The campaign provides customers a chance to dip cones for $1 charge in hard-shell coating flavors such as chocolate, cherry, or butterscotch. The extra $1 collected benefits pediatric patients at Corewell Health Children's hospital helping to fund "cutting-edge health care equipment and other program needs," according to a news release.
Rita's Italian Ice, with hundreds of locations nationwide, including four in metro Detroit, is back with its annual free giveaway tradition to celebrate the first day of spring.
On Thursday, customers at Rita's Italian Ice and Frozen Custard can receive a free 6-ounce Italian ice. Customers can choose from dozens of rotating Rita's classic Italian Ice flavors, from fruit to cotton candy to Kool-Aid.
Rita's Italian Ice's newest flavor is Skittles Italian Ice, inspired by the fruity-flavored candy. Skittles Pop'd crunchy freeze-dried candy joins Rita's topping lineup for a limited time this spring. Other menu items at Rita's include creamy Frozen Custard, signature Gelati, Concretes, Frozen Coffee, Rita's Blenders, and milkshakes.
'For over 30 years, Rita's First Day of Spring Giveaway has been more than just a tradition ‒ it's a moment of pure joy and connection that marks the start of a new season with a refreshing cup of Rita's happiness,' said Linda Chadwick, president & CEO of Rita's Italian Ice & Frozen Custard, in a news release.On Thursday Rita's Italian Ice expects to give away about one million cups to celebrate. There's also a chance for 30 Rita's app users to win Rita's Italian Ice for a year. Rita's app users can use the promo code 'FDOS25' under the offers tab now through 11:59 p.m. Sunday to enter for a chance to win. For rules, go to ritasice.com/FDOSSweepstakes2025.In metro Detroit, Rita's Italian Ice & Frozen Custard locations are in Farmington Hills, Lathrup Village, Sterling Heights, and Taylor.
Contact Detroit Free Press food and restaurant writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news and tips to: sselasky@freepress.com. Follow @SusanMariecooks on X. Subscribe to the Free Press.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Dairy Queen to offer free ice cream cones on Thursday: What to know
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