On April 8, from 12 pm to 8 pm, Ben & Jerry’s is throwing its annual Free Cone Day celebration, serving up free scoops of ice cream to fans worldwide. During the much-loved tradition, Ben & Jerry’s aims to spread some joy across the globe, one ice cream-filled cone at a time.
Last year, fans showed up in record numbers, helping Ben & Jerry’s scoopers nationwide serve over 1 million scoops of free ice cream; if you laid those cones down end to end, it would create an ice cream trail 130 kilometers (80 miles) long! This year, we want to go just as big, giving thanks to our fans with as much joy as possible in the form of chunky, swirly flavors.
“Free Cone Day has always been about gratitude – we want to thank our fans for being the best fans in the world with free ice cream and a moment of pure joy,” said, Tyler Rosenberg, Franchisee. “This year, more than ever, we’re reminded how powerful those small moments of happiness can be. We can’t wait to connect with our fans and our local community over a scoop of ice cream on the most Ben & Jerry-est day of the year!”
This year, the Scoop Shop located at 359 Thames Street, Newport, is adding to the Free Cone Day fun factor with an exciting addition to this year’s event; Ben & Jerry’s new food truck will also be parked directly next door to the shop in the 41 North parking lot. Thanks to 41 North for their support of this great community event! “With 41 North graciously letting us use their lot, we are thrilled to be able to offer even more access for ice cream lovers as we showcase our new food truck,” said Kayla Rosenberg, Store Manager of Ben & Jerry’s Newport.
Ben & Jerry’s Newport will partner with the Newport Public Education Foundation this year. Bring your $1.00 bills because every waffle cone or bonus scoop purchased goes right back to the Newport Public Education Foundation, which empowers teachers, administrators, and community partners to provide enriching educational experiences for the students of Newport Public Schools.
Since its conception in 1979, Free Cone Day has been a way for Ben & Jerry’s to give back to the community that helped it grow from a single Scoop Shop in a renovated gas station in Burlington, Vermont, to one of the most beloved ice cream companies worldwide. What started as a simple “thank you” from co-founders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield to fans for helping them survive their first Vermont winter. Free Cone Day has become a global celebration, with fans lining up for free scoops in more than 35 countries.