Want free ice cream? Get in line.
Ben & Jerry’s plans to give away more than 1 million scoops of free ice cream on Tuesday.
The tradition, known as Free Cone Day, dates back to 1979 when the Vermont-based business was based in a renovated gas station and celebrated it one-year anniversary. Now, the company has scoop shops around the world, including locations in Japan, Singapore, Greece, Brazil, and Mexico, making Free Cone Day a global event.
Shops in the U.S. will honor the promotion from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday. The company recommends using its online map to find your nearest scoop shop.
“We believe in having fun, and in thanking our fans with free ice cream for our anniversary every year,” Ben & Jerry’s CEO Jostein Solheim said in a press release. “Through the power of ice cream, we are able to form strong connections and create positive social change together. Free Cone Day is one way to show our fans how much we appreciate them.”
Although Ben & Jerry’s was bought by global food conglomerate Unilever (UL) in 2000, its independent board of directors and its co-founders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield have continued to infuse the brand with a focus on social activism. Last year, Cohen and Greenfield endorsed fellow Vermonter Bernie Sanders during his presidential campaign and were arrested at a protest.
