Winter has felt particularly long this year, so millions of Americans are looking forward to the first day of spring. Though many of us are excited for the warm weather spring will (hopefully) bring with it, there’s also another reason to look forward to the official first day of spring!

In honor of the beginning of spring on March 20, Dairy Queen has announced that it will be giving out free ice cream cones. That’s right, FREE ICE CREAM AT DAIRY QUEEN!

“We’re excited for our fourth annual Free Cone Day,” Maria Hokanson, Executive Vice President of Marketing for American Dairy Queen Corporation, said in a press release. “This day has become a spring tradition and a sign that warmer weather is upon us.”

Next Tuesday, anyone who walks into a participating Dairy Queen restaurant will be able to get one of Dairy Queen’s signature curly cue topped vanilla cones for free. This mouth-watering cone is known as one of Dairy Queen’s most popular menu items.

“Silky smooth DQ^® soft serve is truly one of life’s simple pleasures. Our cone with the curl on top is one of the most recognized treats in the world and that signature curl is a DQ quality test we take tremendous pride in,” Hokanson explained. “There’s a reason DQ soft serve tastes so delicious and special. From cow to cone, dairy farmers and local operators take tremendous pride in bringing smiles to millions of fans’ faces through our creamy DQ soft serve.”

During last year’s free cone day, Dairy Queen was able to raise over $300,000 in donations for local children’s hospitals. The chain has a long history of raising money for the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, as it has raised over $125 million for them in the past three decades.

We applaud Dairy Queen for finding a way to raise money for children’s hospitals while also giving back to their loyal customers. Be sure to mark March 20 on your calendars, and enjoy your free cone from Dairy Queen!