August 18th is the first ever National ICEE Day (NID) and participating retailers at over 1,800 locations will give out free small ICEE drinks. Although a “slush” beverage has been around a long time, an ICEE is different as it is actually carbonated like soda, giving its unique flavor and texture. The ICEE was invented by Kansas Dairy Queen owner Omar Knedlick, who placed some carbonated soda in his freezer during an equipment issue. The resulting beverage was a hit with customers and the rest is history. The ICEE is a theme park staple with many parks offering refillable bottles or including unlimited ICEE’s in its beverage plan. Some places even have some crazy flavors like banana, but I personally really like the Orange Cream you can get at Six Flags Darien Lake.

Participating locations include AMC Theatres, Regal Cinemas, many Walmart convenience centers, Krystal and Urban Air Adventure Parks. Attractions Magazine has confirmed that venues such as Universal Studios Florida, Universal Epic Universe, Universal Studios Hollywood, and Six Flags & Cedar Fair Parks,(who serve ICEE drinks) are not participating locations on this initial National ICEE Day. Your local theme park will probably not be participating, but it still is a great place to get a cool beverage on a hot summer day. There’s a map on the National ICEE Day website with all the participating locations.