Happy (Almost) Spring! It's Free Cone Day at Dairy Queen!

Tomorrow (March 20th) is the first day of spring, and Dairy Queen is celebrating the occasion with their annual Free Cone Day!

About Free Cone Day 2026

Today only (Thursday, March 19th), customers at participating Dairy Queen locations across the country can stop in for a free small vanilla cone, no purchase necessary.

It's important to note that not all Dairy Queen locations participate in Free Cone Day, so be sure to check with your local store ahead of time. It is also not valid at any Dairy Queen locations within malls, or via delivery or mobile orders. There's a limit of one cone per person.

Here in the Corridor, there is at least one Dairy Queen location that's promoting Free Cone Day! The Mount Vernon DQ at 100 US-30 SE has been counting down the days to the sweet holiday on social media. They said that last year they gave away around 1,000 of them! The Mount Vernon location is open today from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

It has also been confirmed that the Dairy Queen on Mount Vernon Rd SE in Cedar Rapids is also participating in Free Cone Day 2026! They are currently open daily from 12 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

The Free Cone Day Sweepstakes

Using the DQ App, DQ Rewards account holders can enter to win free cones for an entire YEAR today! The grand prize winner will receive the award in the form of a $500 Dairy Queen gift card. The contest officially ends at 11:59 p.m. on March 19th, so be sure to get your entry in before the deadline. If you're not a DQ Rewards member, you can sign up via the app for free. For the terms and conditions on the contest, click HERE.

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The Best Places to Get Ice Cream in the Corridor (Updated 5/27/25)

We all know that there are plenty of Dairy Queens across the Corridor, as well as Culver's, Coldstone, Baskin Robbins, Orange Leaf, and Aspen Leaf locations. But, there are lots of other options, too! Here are some of the other places you can grab a frozen treat in Linn County, Johnson County, and surrounding areas:

Gallery Credit: Courtlin

Iowans Name Their Favorite Small Town Restaurants

I asked Iowans on Facebook what their favorite small town Eastern Iowa restaurant is, and there were some great suggestions! According to Google, a town is considered "small" when it has 5,000 people or less. Our list includes restaurants in towns that have a population of 7,000 or less, and some of them have MUCH less! Here are 19 recommendations from folks in Eastern Iowa:

Gallery Credit: Courtlin