Dairy Queen's Iconic Free Cone Day Is Back This Month

The annual Free Cone Day has been a first-day-of-spring tradition at Dairy Queen since at least as far back as 2006, per Delish. Unfortunately, though, for fans of Dairy Queen's soft serve, the pandemic threw a metaphorical wrench into that tradition in both 2020 and 2021, according to Today. As the chain explained on its Facebook page in February 2021, given the "long lines" the annual event tends to attract and the then-current state of the COVID-19 pandemic, it said, "We've made the difficult decision to cancel this year's event" as a matter of safety. Many commenters expressed dismay, but Dairy Queen did offer as consolation: "We look forward to bringing back Free Cone Day in 2022 and celebrating our fans in a sweet way." 

While not exactly a promise, it speaks to Dairy Queen's commitment that it is, in fact, bringing back Free Cone Day this year. (And, fortunately, we've reached "a new moment in the fight against COVID-19," according to a March 2 White House press briefing, which described a return to "normal routines.") Clearly, one of those is scoring a free Dairy Queen cone on the first day of spring. So, the question is whether can we expect the holiday to make its triumphant return this very month (after all, March 20 is the official first day of the season).

Here's when you might want to start lining up at your local DQ outpost.

Dairy Queen cancelled its last two annual Free Cone Days because of COVID-19 (via Today and Facebook). But with the pandemic in retreat (per a March 2 White House Press Briefing), Dairy Queen will bring back its iconic holiday this month.

A rep for the fast-food chain confirmed to Mashed that its Free Cone Day will return March 21. While that's not technically the first day of spring — according to The Old Farmer's Almanac, it's March 20 — it's close.

It's likely that the 2022 Free Cone Day will also feature a charity tie-in. Dairy Queen has raised more than $120 million for the Children's Miracle Network over the last three decades, per Hot Coupon World. And on March 7, The News Herald reported that Dairy Queen will offer the opportunity for customers to add a dip to their free cones in exchange for a $1 donation to Beaumont Children's Hospital (also a member of the Children's Miracle Network).