First Day Of Summer Freebies & Deals
Source: Anna Beletskaya / Getty
The first day of summer is a fantastic opportunity to enjoy the warmer weather while taking advantage of numerous freebies and special promotions offered by restaurants, retailers, and entertainment venues across the country. On June 20, 2025, many businesses are rolling out exclusive deals designed to help customers celebrate the season with refreshing treats, cool drinks, and fun activities, all without breaking the bank.
Whether you're an ice cream enthusiast, a smoothie lover, a bargain hunter, or looking for family-friendly entertainment, there's something for everyone to enjoy. Popular grocery chains like Kroger are giving away thousands of free pints of ice cream with a simple digital coupon download, while local doughnut shops such as Shipley Do-Nuts and Krispy Kreme are offering sweet deals on their signature pastries.
RELATED: Free Summer Meals Available for Baltimore Youth Through City Schools
Beverage lovers can score free smoothies and double loyalty points on select drinks at Planet Smoothie and Scooter's Coffee. Retailers like Target continue to delight customers with giveaways of summer-themed charms and keychains, and fast-food chains like White Castle and Wendy's are launching promotions and interactive games that reward participants with free or discounted menu items.
Families aren't left out either, as cinemas including Showcase and Regal are providing affordable or free movie options to keep kids entertained during the sunny season. Many of these deals require advance registration in loyalty programs or app downloads, so preparation is key to fully enjoying the perks. With such a variety of options, the first day of summer becomes more than just a seasonal milestone; it transforms into a day of fun, savings, and community celebration.
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Summer in Maryland: 10 Must-Visit Spots For Sun, Fun, And Local Flavor
First Day Of Summer Freebies & Deals was originally published on 92q.com
Offering $1 family movies on select days. Check local listings for participating theaters.
Kids can earn a free movie ticket by submitting a book report through the Bookworm Wednesday program. Check local listings for participating theaters.
Celebrate the launch of the Takis Fuego Chicken Sandwich with the 'Spice Invasion' game in the app on June 20 to win prizes and free food
Get BOGO free small shakes after 8 p.m. from June 20–22 using code SUMMER.
Rewards members earn Double Smiles on any Red Bull Infusion drink after 11 a.m. on June 20 with an in-app coupon
VIP members can enjoy a free 20 oz Lunar Lemonade smoothie on June 21. Sign up by June 19 at PlanetSmoothie.com.
Parents can get a $1.99 scoop with the 'Parents Pass' coupon available in the app from June 16–20.
Buy a dozen doughnuts at regular price and get a second dozen of Original Glazed for $2. Some locations may also be giving away a year's worth of free doughnuts.
All customers get a free classic glazed do-nut with any purchase on June 20.
Rewards members receive a free scoop or cone via a Wallet Drop in the app, valid for in-store or carry-out on June 20.
Offering 92,000 free pints of Kroger-brand ice cream. Download a digital coupon starting at 12 p.m. EST on June 20 at FreeKrogerIceCream.com. Redeem by July 4.
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12 hours ago
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The finale after the finale: S.F. Symphony Chorus shines in Verdi's Requiem
Like a baseball game rescheduled after a rainout, there was one more concert on the San Francisco Symphony's season calendar after last week's grand finale with outgoing Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen. The orchestra staged its makeup performance of Verdi's Requiem on Friday, June 20, a concert that was canceled during the Symphony Chorus' strike in September last year. James Gaffigan generously stepped in to conduct the work, which Salonen would have led in the fall. The program is slated to be repeated on Sunday, June 22, at Davies Symphony Hall. After its extraordinary contributions to Salonen's farewell performance of Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 2, the Chorus showed it was worth every penny of the anonymous $4 million gift made in the months following the strike. The singers came to the fore not just in the 90-minute Requiem, normally programmed by itself, but in a first part that included three choral pieces by Gordon Getty, himself a generous donor to the Symphony (and a co-founder of San Francisco Classical Voice). Getty's works are genial, melodic and accessible, and Gaffigan, a friend of the composer, led them deftly and with evident care. The Intermezzo from Getty's 2017 opera 'Goodbye, Mr. Chips' begins delicately, with spare lines in the marimba giving way to the harp, then acquiring a more definitive melodic profile in the strings. It's a meditative piece that finds an unexpected climax when the choristers interject a school hymn, almost as if overhead from afar. The Chorus also gave fine performances of 'Saint Christopher' (2024), which features effective writing for voices, and 'The Old Man in the Snow' (2020), a more substantial work in several sections that Getty skillfully sets apart with different instrumentation, including a trombone choir, keyboards and mallet percussion. If the performance of the piece as a whole lacked finesse, their contributions were nonetheless stellar. The singing was artful, from the opening 'Requiem aeternam,' with the sound humming in the air through the nasal consonants, to the explosive 'Dies irae' and the stentorian 'Rex tremendae.' The women made a luminous entrance in the 'Lacrimosa' at the line 'Huic ergo parce, Deus' (Therefore spare him, O Lord), and the whole chorus concluded with the fearful declamation and hortatory final fugue of the 'Libera me.' The singers encompassed the range of Verdi's writing in finely balanced sound that pulled emotion from every chord change. Gaffigan's conducting, however, emphasized drive and the titanic climaxes while shorting the Requiem's poetic side. Certainly, this is a public religious work, conceived as a memorial to Italian art — first to the composer Gioachino Rossini and then, when that initial plan fell through, to author Alessandro Manzoni. But it's not only theatrical. This interpretation was driven by inflexible tempos and a sameness to all of the climaxes and fortissimo outbursts that ultimately became wearing. Though the orchestra played well, earning deserved applause, the performance was missing a sense of transcendence and the overarching struggle of mourning and fear giving way to tranquility and acceptance. The soloists — soprano Rachel Willis-Sørenson, mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton, tenor Mario Chang and bass Morris Robinson — were generally excellent. The notable exception was Chang's effortful 'Ingemisco' prayer, sung without any bloom in the tone and generally unresonant and unconvincing. The violins joined Willis-Sørenson in a moving 'Sed signifer sanctus Michael' (Let the standard-bearer holy Michael), the soprano singing sweetly in one of the score's many standout lyrical moments. If there had been more of those, this Requiem would have been even better.
Black America Web
a day ago
- Black America Web
First Day Of Summer Freebies & Deals
Source: Anna Beletskaya / Getty The first day of summer is a fantastic opportunity to enjoy the warmer weather while taking advantage of numerous freebies and special promotions offered by restaurants, retailers, and entertainment venues across the country. On June 20, 2025, many businesses are rolling out exclusive deals designed to help customers celebrate the season with refreshing treats, cool drinks, and fun activities, all without breaking the bank. Whether you're an ice cream enthusiast, a smoothie lover, a bargain hunter, or looking for family-friendly entertainment, there's something for everyone to enjoy. Popular grocery chains like Kroger are giving away thousands of free pints of ice cream with a simple digital coupon download, while local doughnut shops such as Shipley Do-Nuts and Krispy Kreme are offering sweet deals on their signature pastries. RELATED: Free Summer Meals Available for Baltimore Youth Through City Schools Beverage lovers can score free smoothies and double loyalty points on select drinks at Planet Smoothie and Scooter's Coffee. Retailers like Target continue to delight customers with giveaways of summer-themed charms and keychains, and fast-food chains like White Castle and Wendy's are launching promotions and interactive games that reward participants with free or discounted menu items. Families aren't left out either, as cinemas including Showcase and Regal are providing affordable or free movie options to keep kids entertained during the sunny season. Many of these deals require advance registration in loyalty programs or app downloads, so preparation is key to fully enjoying the perks. With such a variety of options, the first day of summer becomes more than just a seasonal milestone; it transforms into a day of fun, savings, and community celebration. Get Breaking News & Exclusive Content in Your Inbox : CATCH UP ON THESE STORIES… 15 R&B Songs to Bring in the Summer Summer in Maryland: 10 Must-Visit Spots For Sun, Fun, And Local Flavor First Day Of Summer Freebies & Deals was originally published on Offering $1 family movies on select days. Check local listings for participating theaters. Kids can earn a free movie ticket by submitting a book report through the Bookworm Wednesday program. Check local listings for participating theaters. Celebrate the launch of the Takis Fuego Chicken Sandwich with the 'Spice Invasion' game in the app on June 20 to win prizes and free food Get BOGO free small shakes after 8 p.m. from June 20–22 using code SUMMER. Rewards members earn Double Smiles on any Red Bull Infusion drink after 11 a.m. on June 20 with an in-app coupon VIP members can enjoy a free 20 oz Lunar Lemonade smoothie on June 21. Sign up by June 19 at Parents can get a $1.99 scoop with the 'Parents Pass' coupon available in the app from June 16–20. Buy a dozen doughnuts at regular price and get a second dozen of Original Glazed for $2. Some locations may also be giving away a year's worth of free doughnuts. All customers get a free classic glazed do-nut with any purchase on June 20. Rewards members receive a free scoop or cone via a Wallet Drop in the app, valid for in-store or carry-out on June 20. Offering 92,000 free pints of Kroger-brand ice cream. Download a digital coupon starting at 12 p.m. EST on June 20 at Redeem by July 4. Black America Web Featured Video CLOSE
Yahoo
a day ago
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Kroger's Juneteenth Cakes Spark Backlash: ‘This Is a Mockery!'
A Kroger in Atlanta, Georgia is going viral for its Juneteenth cake offerings. A TikTok video posted on June 17 shows haphazardly decorated desserts sitting in the bakery section of the supermarket. 'This is some bulls---,' TikToker @ says at the start of the video. 'Who the hell made this ugly-ass s---?' The video, which now has over 10 million views, shows shelves stocked with birthday cakes and other treats, then lands on a table selling Juneteenth cookie cakes. 'Y'all decorate everything else around here cute, everything else around here cute,' the TikToker says. 'But for Juneteenth, you wanna just throw something on a freaking cookie cake and expect someone to buy it.' Several desserts are shown, some with printed designs, others featuring phrases like 'FREE,' 'June 19 Free,' 'Congratulations' and 'Free @ Last' written off-center in icing. The phrase 'free at last' is known for being a prominent part of Martin Luther King's 'I Have A Dream' speech, borrowed from the title of a Negro-Spiritual song. And now the phrase, which represents a hard-fought struggle, is being featured on a supermarket cake, casually scribbled in internet shorthand. 'I'm a be in here bright, early in the morning to talk to somebody about this, because this is unacceptable,' concludes the TikToker, who did not respond to request for comment. 'Kroger count your days,' they added in the post's caption. 'Why even bother if you're going to lack creativity … This is a mockery!' In the comments section of the video, many agreed. 'Free @ last is just insane 😭😭😭😭,' commented one TikTok user. 'It's giving 'here damn' 💀,' wrote another. 'Gurl! Not the last one saying Congratulations,' added someone else. 'Like Congratulations You're free! 🤦🏽♀️🤭.' 'I would absolutely take that cake that says FREE,' wrote one Reddit user, and another replied, 'Yea I mean it's says FREE I thought it was free.' For its part, Kroger says the desserts featured in the video were 'inconsistent' with its 'provided guidance.' 'The products have been removed, and we've addressed this directly with the store teams and the customer who took the initial video,' it added. The removal of the controversial cookie cakes was confirmed by @ in a follow-up TikTok video. 'I still feel some type of way that they didn't replace them with better Juneteenth cakes,' she says. However, there were some folks on the internet who felt 'mixed' on the issue. An alleged Kroger employee on Reddit wrote, 'I understand that people here are overworked and underpaid like crazy. However, admittedly these cake are not the best looking and def could've been made better.' In response, other Reddit users said, 'It looks like they don't have an experienced cake decorator,' and pointed out that 'it was probably someone with minimal training and not much time, doing their best.' Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced enslaved people were free. This was two and a half years after Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863. In June 1883, the Galveston Daily News reported on the 18th annual Emancipation Day — what would today be considered Juneteenth — celebrations across Texas. In 2022, Walmart drew backlash for releasing its own Juneteenth-themed ice cream, which critics said attempted to capitalize on a Black holiday rather than highlight already existing Black-owned ice cream brands. The chain later apologized to customers, writing, 'Juneteenth holiday marks a commemoration and celebration of freedom and independence. However, we received feedback that a few items caused concern for some of our customers and we sincerely apologize.' Then, in 2023, a Reddit post showed another controversial Juneteenth dessert sold at Walmart — watermelon-themed cakes. While watermelon and red-colored foods are associated with Juneteenth, many commenters still thought the choice was 'tacky.' This article was originally published on
