The first day of summer in 2025, the summer solstice, presents a unique opportunity for U.S. consumers to access a variety of freebies and promotional deals. The provided source data outlines specific, time-sensitive offers from a range of national brands across categories including food and beverage, retail, and family activities. These promotions are typically tied to the solstice date of June 20, 2025, and often require specific actions such as downloading a brand app, joining a rewards program, or using a promo code. The information is drawn from a combination of official brand announcements and curated deal roundups, with geographic and eligibility restrictions applying to several offers.
Food and Beverage Freebies
Multiple national food chains have structured promotions for June 20, 2025, focusing on ice cream, shakes, and other refreshments to celebrate the season. These offers vary in their requirements, from digital coupon redemption to in-app rewards membership.
Kroger offered a digital coupon for a free pint of Kroger Brand ice cream, including flavors from the “Summer in a Pint” collection. The promotion required shoppers to claim one of 92,000 digital coupons on the Kroger website starting at 12:00 PM on June 20. A significant geographic restriction applied: the offer was not available to shoppers in California, Colorado, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Nevada.
Baskin-Robbins provided a promotion for rewards members, offering $1.99 scoops at participating locations nationwide. This “Parent Pass” deal was valid on June 20 and again from June 23 through June 27, 2025, aligning with the end of the school year.
White Castle extended a buy-one-get-one (BOGO) deal on shakes. To redeem, customers needed to use the promo code “SUMMER” after 8:00 PM between June 20 and June 22. This promotion was part of the chain’s broader summer celebration, which also included new merchandise and expanded late-night hours.
Milkshake Factory celebrated National Vanilla Milkshake Day on June 20 with a BOGO deal on vanilla milkshakes available all day long.
Salt & Straw offered a BOGO scoop in-store. Customers were instructed to say “make it a double” to receive their second scoop free.
Sonic promoted its “Live Free Fridays” program, encouraging consumers to join the Sonic app to receive freebies starting on June 20.
Wayback Burgers provided a free 12 oz vanilla shake in-store on June 20 only.
Dairy Queen highlighted the return of its Oreo Dirt Pie Blizzard, available for order through the DQ App.
Krispy Kreme offered a $2 dozen Original Glazed donuts with the purchase of any dozen donuts. This deal was available in-store and for online pickup and delivery using the promo code “SUMMER.”
Shipley Do‑Nuts provided a free glazed donut with any purchase, redeemable via the app or in-store.
Frazil offered free slushies every Friday in June, available in-store only and without an app requirement.
Friendly’s had an app Wallet Drop offer for a free scoop or cone on June 20.
Cinnabon offered a free Mini‑Brands pack with the purchase of a 4-count of BonBites via the app, valid from June 20–22.
Smoothie King offered a free 12 oz Watermelon Hydration smoothie through its Healthy Rewards app.
Edible Arrangements had a reported free smoothie offer at certain locations between June 16 and June 21 to celebrate National Smoothie Day. However, the source notes that not all locations serve smoothies, and consumers are advised to check the company’s website for participating stores. This offer was reported via an Instagram account, introducing a potential layer of unverification compared to official brand announcements.
Cava provided rewards members with a free order of pita chips (Classic or Hot Harissa flavors) through the app. No purchase was necessary to redeem this offer.
Potbelly offered a BOGO deal on June 20.
Burger King extended daily freebies for Royal Perks members throughout June via the app.
Dutch Bros offered a free crazy straw with a medium or large drink after 3:00 PM, with an app required for the promotion.
Casey’s provided a free medium frozen drink on Fridays through Casey’s Rewards, with a limit of four redemptions.
Beyond Juicery + Eatery offered a free color-changing cup with any 20 oz drink to members who join Beyond Rewards.
TGI Fridays promoted a $5 Happy Hour all day on June 20, available for dine-in only.
Subway offered a BOGO $1 Footlongs deal with the code “BOGO1” in the app or online.
Retail and In-Store Promotions
Beyond food, the source data indicates several retail and in-store freebie opportunities, though many listed are for dates outside the immediate first day of summer period.
Regal Cinemas was offering $1 family movies at select theaters, though the source advises checking local listings for specific showtimes and locations.
Showcase Cinemas had a program where kids could earn free tickets by submitting a book report.
Lowe’s offered a free wooden rose bouquet on February 14.
Home Depot provided a free Kids Workshop on February 7.
MinuteKEY offered a free key copy.
JCPenney hosted a free Kids Zone Event on February 14.
Williams-Sonoma had in-store cooking events scheduled for January 2026.
Michaels had upcoming Makebreak Sunday events and free Kids Club events in Winter 2026.
PetSmart offered a free pet photo with Santa on December 13-14.
Auntie Anne’s provided a free bookmark and pretzel.
Hallmark offered a free card each month in 2025.
Waffle House offered free hashbrowns.
A&W Root Beer Float was free on August 6, 2026.
McAlister’s Deli had a free Tea Day on July 16, 2026.
Planet Fitness offered a free Teen Summer Pass.
Ace Hardware provided a free American Flag on May 24.
Haagen-Dazs had a free Cone Day in May 2026.
Free Comic Book Day was on May 2, 2026.
Ben & Jerry’s had a free Cone Day on April 14, 2026.
Dairy (likely a brand or store) was listed but without specific details in the provided chunk.
Scooter’s Coffee offered double “Smiles” points on Red Bull Infusions after 11:00 AM via the app.
Ziggi’s Coffee offered $2 off iced, blended, or frozen drinks via the Ziggi’s app.
Costco had a promotion where members could save on summer essentials from June 18 to July 20.
Family and Children-Focused Freebies
The source data includes a substantial list of freebies and programs aimed at families with children, though many are ongoing or have specific seasonal dates outside the June 20 timeframe.
Free Apple Camp Summer Events were listed, though specific details and registration requirements were not provided in the chunk.
2025 Kids Roller Skate Free Program was noted.
2026 Freebies for Good Report Card Grades was a future program mentioned.
2025 Summer Movie Deals & Freebies for Families with Kids was a category of offers.
Free IKEA Secure Hardware Kit was available.
Free Professional Sports Kids Clubs were listed.
Kids Bowl Free All Summer in 2025 was a specific program.
Free “Get Excited About the Brain” Coloring Book was available.
Free Letters From Santa and Free Personalized Call From Santa were listed as holiday offerings.
Free Enfamil Belly Badges & Samples and Free Enfamil Toddler Formula were mentioned as baby care freebies.
50+ Free Summer Kids Events, Activities, & Freebies! was a compiled list.
Calendar of Next Free Kids In-Store Events was referenced.
Brickit App Scans Your LEGO Pile and Shows You What to Build! was noted as a free app feature.
Free Disney Key to the Magic and Free Sesame Street Fire Safety Coloring Booklet were listed.
Free 60-Day Noggin Subscription was available.
Free PETA Kids Stickers and PETA Kids Freebies were offered.
5 Free PETA Kids Comics were listed.
Free Ways to Track Santa on Christmas Eve and Free Personalized Video from Santa were holiday-related.
Free Goodnites Underwear for Boys & Girls was a baby/toddler product freebie.
Free Walmart Baby Welcome Box was listed.
Free Learn Along with Sesame Street – Season 1 was available.
Free buybuy BABY Goody Bag was noted.
Free 6 Months of Amazon Prime Membership for Ages 18-24 was a subscription offer.
Free BJ's Wholesale Club Access was listed.
Deal: Squishmallows Pet Beds up to 55% off was a pet product deal.
Free Pizza Restaurant Coupons were available.
Deal: Walmart Beauty Box for $7 was a beauty offer.
Best Gifts for Men Under $25 was a curated list.
Get Groceries Delivered Straight to your Door with Instacart was a service promotion.
Promotional Mechanics and Eligibility
Accessing these freebies and deals typically requires specific actions from the consumer. For food and beverage offers, common requirements include:
- Downloading a brand-specific app: Many offers, such as those from Sonic, Smoothie King, Cava, and Dutch Bros, are exclusively available through their respective mobile applications.
- Joining a rewards program: Offers from Baskin-Robbins, Cava, Burger King, Casey’s, and Beyond Juicery + Eatery require membership in the brand’s rewards or loyalty program.
- Using a promo code: Offers from White Castle, Krispy Kreme, and Subway require the entry of a specific promo code (“SUMMER,” “BOGO1”) during online checkout or app redemption.
- Digital coupon clipping: The Kroger offer necessitated claiming a digital coupon from their website before in-store or online redemption.
- Geographic restrictions: The Kroger ice cream coupon was explicitly excluded in California, Colorado, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Nevada.
- Purchase requirements: Some offers, like the Shipley Do‑Nuts free donut, require a purchase. Others, like the Cava pita chips, are explicitly “no purchase necessary.”
- Time restrictions: Many deals are valid only on specific dates (e.g., June 20 only for Wayback Burgers) or within specific time windows (e.g., after 8 PM for White Castle shakes).
The reliability of the information varies. Offers from official brand websites or apps (e.g., Kroger, Baskin-Robbins, White Castle) can be considered highly reliable. The Edible Arrangements smoothie offer was reported via an Instagram account (“The Freebie Guy”), which is a third-party source. While such deals are often accurate, the official brand website should be consulted to confirm participation, as noted in the source text. The extensive list of children’s and family freebies from the third-party website appears to be a curated collection, and consumers are advised to verify details and current availability directly with the offering brands or venues.
Conclusion
The first day of summer in 2025 offered a concentrated set of promotional freebies primarily focused on food and beverage items like ice cream, shakes, and smoothies. To claim these offers, consumers needed to take specific, time-sensitive actions such as downloading apps, joining rewards programs, or using promo codes. A significant number of other freebies and deals for families, children, and retail products were also listed, though many had different effective dates or were part of ongoing annual programs. The most reliable offers came directly from brand announcements, while some third-party curated lists require independent verification for accuracy and current availability. For consumers interested in these opportunities, the key steps are to check brand websites and apps for official terms and to note any geographic or eligibility restrictions that may apply.