Ice Cream Season

It’s not quite July yet… but with this heat dome sitting on our shoulders, we’re calling it early: it’s Ice Cream Season.

July is National Ice Cream Month, with the third Sunday officially dubbed National Ice Cream Day — but honestly, we’re celebrating starting now. Whether you’re into a velvety scoop or a soft, swirly cone, here’s where we’re getting our chill on around the DMV:

FOR A SCOOP: Handcrafted, small-batch, flavor-packed. These spots are the scoop dreams of summer:

Blue Duck Tavern – Sophisticated scoops with seasonal standouts like Sweet Corn Ice Cream paired with Pickled Tart Cherry Compote and Caramelized Sunflower Seed Crunch. Or go old-school indulgent with the Root Beer Float Sundae, featuring Birch Ice Cream, NY Boylan Root Beer, Vanilla Salted Caramel, and Toffee Cake.

Captain Cookie & the Milk Man – Fresh baked cookies meet local dairy ice cream in sandwich form.

The Creamery – Try their Chocolate Covered Strawberry: a traditional strawberry base swirled with smooth dark chocolate. Available by the scoop or by the pint.

Cucina Morini – Their Affogato Sundae is a luxurious option: vanilla & pistachio gelati, espresso, marsala, and salted caramel sauce.

The Cumberland Valley Ice Cream Trail – A regional adventure with a digital passport to check in at ice cream shops and win prizes.

Dolci Gelati – Known for Italian-style gelato, unique flavors include Dubai chocolate and Kettle Corn Popcorn gelato.

Gatsby – This retro-spot brings the nostalgia with summer-ready sweets like the Caramelized Banana Split stacked high with strawberry, vanilla, and chocolate ice cream, finished with caramel, fudge, whipped cream, and waffle cone crunch. Oh & there’s milkshakes.

Happy Ice Cream – From the minds behind Gemini Wine Shop, this spot pairs sourdough cones with handmade ice cream in flavors like Strawberry-Buttermilk with polenta crumble, and Yuzu with Frozen Labne.

Honeys & Friends – A cult-following for flavors like Banana Cream Pie and Creamy Fig. Don’t miss the cookies.

Ice Cream Jubilee – A local favorite for bold, fun flavors like Banana Bourbon Caramel, Blueberry Crisp, and Cookies & Cookie Dough.

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams – A beloved scoop shop with multiple DMV locations. Don’t miss Wedding Cake, Root Beer Float & Toasted S’mores.

Joon – This Persian concept serves Saffron and Rose Water Ice Cream with rose water cookies.

Malai – Eggless, South Asian-inspired flavors with creamy texture and depth. Try Apricot Mace or Rose with Cinnamon Roasted Almonds.

Omni Shoreham Hotel – Don’t miss their Scoop Social: an ice cream cart (plus jingle!) that makes daily rounds on property.

Pascual – Pastry chef Isabel Coss brings her ice cream expertise to this refined Mexican kitchen with a Chocolate Tamal topped with hoja santa ice cream and masa crumble. The earthy, anise-kissed hoja santa is sourced from local Karma and Chalet Farms grown especially for her to spotlight in this singular summer dessert.

Pitango Gelato – Every batch is made on-site at each location. Find 20 flavors, including 10 dedicated to dairy-free sorbets. Standouts include Sicilian Pistachio, Gianduja, and a raspberry sorbet.

Shuga x Ice – African-inspired frozen desserts like inventive combos like Tea + Bread and ChinChin + Cream.

Van Leeuwen – A NYC-born favorite now all over the DMV. Must-tries: Sicilian Pistachio or Vegan Peanut Butter Brownie Honeycomb.

FOR A SWIRL: Because nothing hits like soft serve when it’s 97 degrees and rising:

Dolcezza (H Street) – Known for their artisanal gelato, now also offering gelato-style soft serve at the H Street location. Try Black Sesame or Black & White Cookie Batter scoops or they now have Pistachio California and Vanilla soft serve either straight up or topped with fresh Strawberry Jam

Levain Bakery x Dolcezza – Pair Levain’s fan-favorite Rocky Road Cookie with a scoop of Dolcezza ice cream exclusively at DMV locations.

Love, Makoto – Known for their fast-casual Love on the Run, serving cool and creative soft serve like their Matcha Coconut or swirl in some vanilla with that

State Fair at The Roost – Known for its playful take on nostalgic treats, State Fair serves up over-the-top sundaes made with their housemade custards. Try the NotSoFogato, a blend of vanilla custard, toasted almonds, molasses cookie crumble, and espresso sauce. Or the Fairy Flossin’, vanilla custard layered with strawberry sauce, cookie dough pieces, cotton candy sprinkles, and a puff of cotton candy on top.

Yellow – You definitely want a taste of James Beard Award Winner Mike Rafidi’s soft-serve. Think Labne with pomegranate molasses and extra-virgin olive oil or the tahini oat with candied walnuts.

So whether you scoop or swirl, It’s cold, it's creamy, and it's calling your name.