What’s better than ice cream? Free ice cream, of course. July is National Ice Cream Month, first designated by President Ronald Reagan in 1984, followed by National Ice Cream Day on the third Sunday of July. You can find deals and freebies throughout Orlando on July 15 and beyond. Keep watching this list for more deals as we find them…and beware of brain freeze.
ICE CREAM DEALS & EVENTS
Winter Park Ice Cream Social
Saturday, July 14, 12pm-2pm
Martin Luther King, Jr. Park, Winter Park
Free event. Join Parks and Recreation for a sweet treat featuring two flavors of ice cream and lots of toppings.
National Ice Cream Day- Three Year Celebration
Kelly’s Homemade Ice Cream, Orlando
$1 scoops at Kelly’s from 1pm-4pm
Baskin-Robbins: Download the Baskin-Robbins Mobile App for exclusive offers, including a free scoop just for joining. Also, kid-sized and regular-sized ice cream scoops will be $1.50 on Tuesday, July 31.
Bruster’s: Join the Sweet Rewards program to receive $3 off your ice cream purchase. Check here for a location near you.
Cold Stone Creamery: Join the Cold Stone Rewards Club and get a buy one, get one free Cold Stone Creation dessert added to your account. You will also receive a BOGO free Creation dessert on your birthday. Receive $5 off purchases with every 50 accumulated points.
Dippin’ Dots: There’s a party goin’ on at special Dippin’ Dots locations on July 15. Stores will be giving away free Dippin’ Dots within a two hour window on National Ice Cream Day. You must call your local store for details on their giveaway.
Marble Slab Creamery: Join the Slab Happy rewards program and get free ice cream for signing up.
Monkey Joe’s: Get free ice cream during Monkey Joe’s Customer Appreciation event on July 15. Call your local participating Monkey Joe’s location for information on special giveaways.
Steak N’ Shake : This isn’t a National Ice Cream Day special, but it’s yummy enough to add to the list. Get half price shakes and drinks during Happy Hour from 2 pm to 5 pm on weekdays.
Yogurtland: Get a free 3-ounce yogurt when you sign up for Yogurtland Real Rewards program.
The Soda Fountain, College Park
ORLANDO’S FAVORITE ICE CREAM SPOTS
Here are some top locations selected by our friends at Visit Orlando.
The Soda Fountain is a classic ice cream shop in Orlando’s College Park neighborhood, about 15 minutes from downtown Orlando. Besides traditional cones and cups, they offer milkshakes, floats, sorbet spritzers and even egg creams, and their sundaes are particularly impressive. For instance, The Elvis combines Nutella ice cream, candied bacon, caramel and peanut butter sauce for a hunka hunka frozen love you won’t soon forget!
Regular ice cream not creamy enough for you? No problem — Andy’s Frozen Custard has what you’re craving! Their slow-churned treats are available in a wide range of flavors and styles, and a galaxy of toppings can be mixed and matched to create your perfect recipe. They’re close to Universal Orlando on International Drive.
Wonderland Cookie Dough Co. has a one-of-a-kind way to stay cool: chilled, edible cookie dough! Located in Celebration, just outside Walt Disney World, they offer a variety of flavors and toppings, as well as gluten-conscious, vegan and sugar-free options. And if you’re looking for something really special, check out their Cookie Dough Nachos, which pair any two flavors with crushed waffle cones.
Kelly’s Homemade Ice Cream is an Orlando original that sells rich, creamy, handcrafted ice cream in a number of surprising ways. Take their ice cream sandwiches, for example: Sometimes they’re served on waffles, sometimes on donuts, and sometimes on sweet-and-crunchy taco shells depending on the daily menu! You can find them in Orlando’s Audubon Park neighborhood, about 20 minutes from downtown, with a second location close to downtown’s SoDo district.
“Rolled” ice cream is an innovation from Thailand, and you can try it in Orlando at Mr. Cool Ice Cream & Boba Tea, close to Universal Orlando on International Drive. With the help of special machinery, the ice cream is rolled into tubes, placed in a cup or cone, and layered with your choice of toppings for a unique treat that’s tough to beat. And as the name implies, Mr. Cool is also a great place to get authentic boba tea!
