Dairy Queen again marks start of spring with free vanilla cones

MINNEAPOLIS — With the country on the cusp of greeting the return of spring, a warm-weather treat is once again available for free for a limited time only.

That's right, Tuesday is Free Cone Day at participating Dairy Queen locations. That means at participating restaurants, you can get a free small vanilla soft-serve cone.

"Nothing says warmer weather is around the corner quite like Free Cone Day. We're inviting fans everywhere to grab their friends and families and get their 'Treat Szn' started with something sweet — on us," said Maria Hokanson, executive vice president of marketing at Dairy Queen.

This year marks the eighth time the Bloomington-based ice cream chain has marked the start of spring with a free cone giveaway.

There are Dairy Queen locations in most states. Click here to find a Dairy Queen near you.

Are DQ's cherry-dipped cones coming back?

While this week's free giveaway only involves unfettered vanilla cones, Dairy Queen fans remain on the hunt for their beloved cherry-dipped cones, and once again the rumor mill is swirling of a return.

While for a number of years those with a particular jones could find cherry-dipped cones at nearly any given time, in recent years that's not been the case. It's been on and off the menu with the seasons, with butterscotch more affixed to cold-weather months, and cherry reemerging during warmer months.

Over the years, Dairy Queen has explored a number of flavors for their dipped soft-serve ice cream cones. In the spring of 2019, Dairy Queen launched the Dreamsicle dipped cone, and in 2022 and 2023 launched additional flavors including Fruity Blast — a cereal-flavored dip — and churro. 

Dairy Queen has even tried their hand at a pumpkin-flavored dipped cone (as if there weren't enough pumpkin-spice flavored items).

This spring, the chain is testing out a new "confetti cake" dipped cone.