The average American eats roughly 20 pounds of ice cream each year, or about 4 gallons. As the summer reaches peak temperatures in July, Americans celebrate National Ice Cream Month as a way to cool off and enjoy the nation’s favorite frozen treat with friends and family. Ice cream has historically been a key feature of American communities. According to an IDFA survey, most ice cream companies are family owned and have been in operation for more than 50 years! Here’s more sweet news: Ice cream companies help support the U.S. economy, contributing more than $13 billion directly to the national economy and supporting nearly 29,000 direct jobs that generate $1.8 billion in direct wages, according to IDFA’s Dairy Delivers®. In 2021, ice cream makers in the U.S. churned out more than 1.3 billion gallons of ice cream.
That’s something to celebrate!
In 1984, President Ronald Reagan designated July as National Ice Cream Month and the third Sunday of the month as National Ice Cream Day.
In 2022, National Ice Cream Day will be Sunday, July 17.
In the proclamation, President Reagan called for all people of the United States to observe these events with "appropriate ceremonies and activities."
Every year, IDFA celebrates National Ice Cream Month in style with our annual Capitol Hill Ice Cream Party. Thousands of guests crowd the grounds surrounding the reflecting pool at the U.S. Capitol to enjoy dozens of varieties of ice cream from IDFA member companies. In 2022, IDFA members donated more than 200 3-gallon tubs of ice cream and 750 novelties for the event.
We encourage ice cream makers and consumers to celebrate July as National Ice Cream Month. Please share exciting images of your favorite dessert and the many ways that you enjoy it. Watch @dairyidfa accounts on social media to see how IDFA members and our larger community are celebrating the month.
Share our ice cream facts and figures with #NationalIceCreamMonth on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
We’ll publish short ice cream video clips and moving images that you can share. We also encourage you to share your own images--please tag @dairyidfa.
