National Ice Cream Soda Day
June 20
About National Ice Cream Soda Day
National Ice Cream Soda Day falls on Saturday, 20 June 2026. It celebrates the ice cream soda, the frothy mix of carbonated water, flavoured syrup and a scoop or two of ice cream that has been a soda fountain favourite since the 1870s. The day is an invitation to head to a parlour, pull out the tall glasses at home, and raise a fizzy, creamy toast to one of the simplest treats ever invented.
How to Celebrate National Ice Cream Soda Day
The whole point of the day is to actually drink one, so here are plenty of ways to mark the occasion:
- Make a classic at home – Drop two scoops of vanilla ice cream into a tall glass, pour over chilled soda water and a generous splash of flavoured syrup, and watch it foam up. A long spoon and a straw are the only equipment you need.
- Visit an old-fashioned soda fountain – Track down a traditional parlour or diner that still serves sodas the proper way, at a counter, in a fluted glass, with whipped cream on top.
- Build an ice cream soda bar – Set out bottles of different sodas, a few tubs of ice cream and an array of syrups so friends and family can mix their own combinations.
- Experiment with flavours – Pair cola with vanilla, lemonade with raspberry, or cream soda with chocolate. Order something you have never tried before and compare notes.
- Try a global version – Make an Australian “spider” by floating vanilla ice cream in lemonade, or a Japanese melon-soda float topped with a cherry.
- Host a 1950s soda shop party – Add a retro playlist, paper straws and chequerboard napkins to turn an afternoon into a proper throwback.
- Go dairy-free – Use a plant-based scoop and your favourite fizzy drink so nobody has to miss out.
- Share the fizz online – Photograph your towering, frothing creation and post it with the hashtag #NationalIceCreamSodaDay.
What is National Ice Cream Soda Day?
National Ice Cream Soda Day is an unofficial American food holiday held every year on 20 June. It honours a drink that combines carbonated water, sweet syrup and ice cream into something halfway between a beverage and a dessert. There is no single governing organisation behind it; it is celebrated mostly by ice cream lovers, parlours, creameries and brands keen to mark the day. The spirit is simple: enjoy an ice cream soda and pass the tradition on.
When is National Ice Cream Soda Day?
National Ice Cream Soda Day is observed on Saturday, 20 June 2026. The date is fixed, falling on 20 June every year, so it is easy to plan ahead. It sits neatly at the start of summer in the Northern Hemisphere, when a cold, fizzy treat is at its most welcome.
The History of National Ice Cream Soda Day
The story of the ice cream soda is older than the awareness day itself. The most widely repeated origin credits Robert McCay Green, a Philadelphia vendor who, in 1874, was selling flavoured sodas at the city’s Franklin Institute celebrations. As the story goes, he ran out of the ice he used to chill his drinks and improvised by reaching for vanilla ice cream instead. The combination proved far more popular than the original, and Green was reportedly so proud of his creation that he asked for the words “Originator of the Ice Cream Soda” to be carved on his gravestone.
Green is not the only claimant. Philip Mohr of Elizabeth, New Jersey, is said to have been combining soda water and ice cream as early as 1862. Whoever was first, the drink spread quickly. The World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893 helped turn it into a national craze, with soda fountains dotted across the fairgrounds. By the mid-1890s there were said to be more than 50,000 soda fountains across the United States, and the ice cream soda was a fixture at nearly every one.
The drink even left its mark on the wider world of frozen treats. In 1890, the town of Evanston, Illinois, banned the sale of ice cream sodas on Sundays under a “blue law” influenced by local church leaders who disapproved of the Sabbath crowds. Resourceful confectioners served the ice cream and syrup without the fizzy soda, and that sodaless “Sunday soda” is one popular account of how the ice cream sundae got its name and spelling. The awareness day itself gained traction much later, with Evanston declaring 20 June “Ice Cream Soda Day” in 1983 and even erecting a monument to the treat.
Fun Facts About National Ice Cream Soda Day
- Robert McCay Green is said to have requested that his gravestone read “Originator of the Ice Cream Soda”.
- By around 1895 the United States was home to more than 50,000 soda fountains, most of which served ice cream sodas.
- In Australia and New Zealand, an ice cream soda is known as a “spider”, traditionally made with lemonade and vanilla ice cream.
- In Japan and Singapore, a popular version uses bright green melon soda topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
- The 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago is widely credited with turning the ice cream soda into a nationwide hit.
- One popular theory holds that the ice cream sundae was invented as a Sunday-friendly, fizz-free version of the ice cream soda after blue laws restricted soda sales.
Why National Ice Cream Soda Day Matters
Beyond the obvious pleasure of a cold treat, the day keeps a genuine piece of social history alive. Soda fountains were once community gathering places, and the ice cream soda sits at the heart of that nostalgia. Marking 20 June is also a small way to support the independent parlours and creameries that still serve the drink by hand, and an easy excuse to share something fun with family and friends.
If you enjoy days built around a single sweet treat, you might also like National Hot Fudge Sundae Day, which celebrates the soda’s dessert cousin later in the summer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is National Ice Cream Soda Day?
It is an annual unofficial food holiday celebrating the ice cream soda, a drink made from carbonated water, flavoured syrup and ice cream. It is a day to enjoy one and share the tradition.
When is National Ice Cream Soda Day in 2026?
It takes place on Saturday, 20 June 2026. The date is fixed and falls on 20 June every year.
Who invented the ice cream soda?
Robert McCay Green of Philadelphia is most often credited with creating it in 1874, after he ran out of ice and used vanilla ice cream instead. Philip Mohr of New Jersey is also said to have made an early version in 1862.
Spread the Word
Join the celebration and share your frothiest ice cream soda creations on social media with #NationalIceCreamSodaDay and #NationalIceCreamSodaDay2026. Tag your friends and challenge them to mix their own flavour combination!
Related Awareness Days
- National Hot Fudge Sundae Day – Celebrates the ice cream soda’s dessert relative, the hot fudge sundae, whose name shares a tangled history with the soda.
- National Coffee Milkshake Day – Another blended ice cream drink for fans of cold, creamy summer treats.
- National Banana Split Day – A classic soda fountain dessert that grew up alongside the ice cream soda.
Links
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