Celebrate the first day of spring in style.
By Joseph Green on March 20, 2026
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Free promotions often come with a catch. Sure, you can get some limited-edition merch or a brand-new device, but most of the time you need to spend some cash to qualify. Can you claim that this type of “free giveaway” is free at all? It’s a gray area, at best.
But sometimes you really can get something for nothing: Dairy Queen recently gave away cones for free, Krispy Kreme handed out green doughnuts for St. Patrick’s Day, and Ben & Jerry’s has confirmed that it’s running its free cone day once again in 2026. And Rita’s is doing something similar by offering a truly free giveaway to celebrate the first day of spring.
On March 20, customers who visit one of Rita’s 600+ locations across the U.S. can get a free 6-ounce Italian Ice. You can choose from a number of flavors, including the new Mystery Peeps Italian Ice Flavor.
Rita’s expects to serve about one million cups of its signature Italian Ice during this promotion. To be one of those lucky million, find your nearest Rita’s location and set out in search of your free ice on March 20. We’re all feeling the spirit of spring right now, so what better way to celebrate?
Joseph Green is the Global Shopping Editor for Mashable. He covers VPNs, headphones, fitness gear, dating sites, streaming, and shopping events like Black Friday and Prime Day. Joseph is also Executive Editor of Mashable’s sister site, AskMen.