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Published: Jul 10, 2017 2 min read
McDonald's Profit Trails Estimates As Sales Slump Persists
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Ice cream might taste particularly sweet this Sunday—because you can get it for free.

The third Sunday in July is celebrated as National Ice Cream Day, a made-up holiday when restaurants and stores offer freebies and special discounts on ice cream around the country.

The 2017 edition of National Ice Cream Day takes place on Sunday, July 16, and there will be a new participant: McDonald's.

The fast food giant is offering free ice cream nationwide on National Ice Cream Day for the first time that we can recall. Throughout the day on July 16, participating McDonald's restaurants will give away free vanilla soft-serve cones to all customers, no purchase required.

The promotion is partly aimed at highlighting McDonald's new ice cream. McDonald's quietly began changing its vanilla ice cream in the fall of 2016, and the company now says the ice cream contains no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives.

We will post a larger roundup of National Ice Cream Day giveaways later this week.