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National Ice Cream Day lands on July 19 — and the Lone Star State has no shortage of ways to celebrate, from viral TikTok shops to Yelp’s top-ranked creameries across the state
If there is one thing Texans do not need an excuse for, it is ice cream. But every third Sunday in July, the whole country gets one anyway. National Ice Cream Day lands on Sunday, July 19, 2026 — and this year, the timing could not be better. July is peak heat season in Texas, and scoop shops from Fort Worth to San Angelo are ready to deliver.
The holiday dates back to 1984, when President Ronald Reagan declared July National Ice Cream Month and set aside its third Sunday as a day of frozen celebration. More than four decades later, the tradition has only grown — and so has the Texas ice cream scene.
Brenham: The Official Ice Cream Capital of Texas
Before you hit your local scoop shop, consider a trip to the source. The Texas Legislature has designated Brenham as the official Ice Cream Capital of Texas — home to Blue Bell Creameries, which began delivering ice cream by horse-drawn carriage in 1930. Visitors to the Brenham facility can learn about the company’s history, watch the manufacturing process in action, and stop by the ice cream parlor — with roughly 300,000 people making the trip in 2025 alone.
Blue Bell also runs its annual Lone Star Scoop Tour, a customer appreciation event that kicks off in Brenham and travels to cities including San Antonio, Houston, Austin, Dallas, Lubbock, and Laredo — offering fans free scoops, frozen snacks, and merchandise along the way. Check bluebell.com for the latest tour schedule and dates.
A TikTok Shop Lands in Fort Worth
One of the buzziest new arrivals to the Texas ice cream scene is The Scoop N Scootery in Fort Worth. The New England-based concept went viral after TikTok videos of sundaes being split in half — or flipped to reveal fillings oozing from hollowed-out scoops — racked up millions of views, making demand from outside the Northeast impossible to ignore. Fort Worth owner Teresa Viveiros discovered the shop on a late-night trip to Boston and brought it back to Texas, drawn by its oversized portions and late-night delivery model. “Our mini is what I would consider probably large at a regular ice cream shop,” says the company’s chief marketing officer. If you have been watching those videos and wondering when Texas would get one, the answer is: it is already here.
Yelp’s Top Texas Picks You Need to Try
Yelp’s 2025 ranking of the top 100 ice cream shops in the U.S. included 11 Texas locations — a strong showing that reflects just how creative and diverse the state’s creamery scene has become. A few standouts worth making the drive for.
In Austin, Manoli’s — a family-owned food truck — earned the No. 4 spot nationally for its Italian-style ice cream and sorbet made with fresh fruit, pulps, and from-scratch baked goods featuring imported chocolate and coffee. Also in Austin, Gelato Paradiso on South Congress Avenue rounds out the city’s scene with shakes, granitas, and espresso — perfectly positioned for a post-dinner walk along one of Texas’s most iconic streets.
In the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Botolino Gelato Artigianale in Dallas landed at No. 14 for its authentic recipes and house-made desserts, while Sugar Pine Creamery in Plano ranked 36th for its Asian-inspired soft serve, featuring flavors like mango sticky rice, black sesame, lychee, and matcha. Also in Plano, Churn and Bake serves up pandan, ube coconut crunch, Vietnamese coffee, and lychee sorbet — a second destination for adventurous palates.
Outside of Austin, Rollie Rolls in Pflugerville specializes in Thai-style rolled ice cream with an array of flavors and toppings, plus waffle puffs, milk tea, and boba. Near Houston, Cool Cow Creamery in Kemah sits right on Galveston Bay and claims to be the only chef-made, small-batch ice cream shop in the area — offering scoops, shakes, sundaes, and ice cream pies.
In San Antonio, Freshest Ice Creams draws on South American roots for flavors like blackberry, kiwi, and chia coconut. And tucked away in West Texas, The Latest Scoop in San Angelo is an award-winning, family-owned shop with ever-changing flavors, fresh waffle cones, Mexican hot chocolate, and real fruit smoothies.
A Hidden Gem in the Hill Country
For something off the beaten path, OroBianco Italian Creamery in Blanco — about an hour north of San Antonio — serves rich, creamy gelato made with water buffalo milk alongside coffee, baked goods, and fresh cheeses. It is a natural Hill Country road trip stop and the kind of place you tell your friends about before the rest of the state catches on.
DFW’s Craft Scene Goes Deep
Dallas alone has become a serious destination for ice cream connoisseurs. MELT Ice Creams, founded in 2014 on Fort Worth’s Magnolia Avenue, has expanded to locations in Mule Alley, Dallas’ Bishop Arts district, and Willow Park — crafting small-batch flavors like Salt Lick (buttery caramel), Cup of TX (coffee with cream), and seasonal offerings like Texas Lavender Honey Crunch and Lemon Blueberry Pie. The shop also does limited drops of its Yellow Birthday Cake — a cake batter ice cream loaded with house-made vanilla cake pieces and rainbow sprinkle crumbles. If you are in DFW and have not been, this is your sign.
National Deals to Watch on July 19
The big chains are getting in on the celebration too. Dairy Queen Rewards members can expect a free Dilly Bar with any online or in-app purchase, while Burger King’s Royal Perks members are anticipated to receive a free soft serve with any purchase on July 19. Dippin’ Dots plans to give away free mini cups during a two-hour window, with the first 100 guests at each participating location also receiving a collectible cup. Deals are subject to change — check each chain’s app starting around July 15 for confirmed offers.
Whether you make it to Brenham for a Blue Bell pilgrimage, chase down a viral sundae at The Scoop N Scootery, or discover a new favorite at a neighborhood creamery, July 19 is the day to treat yourself. In Texas heat, you have more than earned it.
Event Details
National Ice Cream Day: Sunday, July 19, 2026
Blue Bell Creameries Visitor Center: 1101 S. Blue Bell Rd., Brenham, TX 77833 — bluebell.com — Instagram and Facebook: @ilovebluebell
The Scoop N Scootery: 3529 Heritage Trace Pkwy, Ste 117, Fort Worth, TX 76244 — (682) 593-0459 — Instagram: @thescoopnscootery
Manoli’s Ice Cream, Pops, Sorbet & More: 8907 Circle Dr., Austin, TX 78736 — (512) 387-5045 — manolisusa.com — Instagram: @manolisatx
Gelato Paradiso: 1900 S. Congress Ave., Austin, TX 78704 — Instagram: @gelatoparadisoatx
Botolino Gelato Artigianale: 2116 Greenville Ave., Dallas, TX 75206 — (469) 776-9077 — Instagram: @botolinogelato
Sugar Pine Creamery: 6832 Coit Rd., #270B, Plano, TX 75023 — (469) 298-8864 — Instagram: @sugarpinecreamery
Churn and Bake Ice Cream: 2707 W. 15th St., Ste. C, Plano, TX 75075 — (469) 277-6098 — Instagram: @churnandbake
Rollie Rolls Ice Cream: 1101 W. Pecan St., #8, Pflugerville, TX 78660 — (512) 551-8473 — Instagram: @rollierolls
Cool Cow Creamery: 609 Bradford Ave., Unit 111, Kemah, TX 77565 — (281) 549-6393 — Instagram: @coolcowcreamery
Freshest Ice Creams: 8053 Callaghan Rd., San Antonio, TX 78230 — (210) 371-6510 — Instagram: @freshesticecreams
The Latest Scoop: 37A W. Concho Ave., San Angelo, TX 76903 — (325) 277-6999 — Instagram: @thelatestscoop
OroBianco Italian Creamery: 503 Main St., Blanco, TX 78606 — (830) 833-3114 — Instagram: @orobianco_creamery
MELT Ice Creams: 1201 W. Magnolia Ave., Ste. 115, Fort Worth, TX 76104 — (817) 886-8365 — Instagram: @melticecreams
