National Ice Cream Day is celebrated annually on the third Sunday in July, coinciding with National Ice Cream Month. This year, it falls on Sunday, July 20th. While you can enjoy your favorite frozen treats at national chains like Baskin Robbins, Bruster’s, Coldstone, Haagen Dazs, Jeni’s, Rita’s, and more, Montgomery County boasts an impressive array of independent and local shops offering exceptional frozen delights. If we’ve overlooked any, please feel free to comment below.
• Carmen’s Italian Ice (various locations in Montgomery County): While specializing in refreshing Italian ice, they also offer delicious frozen custard and popular combination treats like gelatis, making them a go-to spot for a variety of frozen desserts.
• Class 520 (Rockville): This spot offers rolled ice cream, a unique and popular style where liquid ice cream mix is spread thin on a cold plate, then scraped into rolls and served with various toppings.
• The Market at Deere Valley (Dickerson): The Market at Deere Valley offers delicious homemade soft-serve ice cream. They are known for their “tractor sprinkles” and have even offered special items like the Carnival Sundae and floats (traditional or blended).
• Dolcezza Gelato & Coffee (Bethesda and local DC Metro area stores): A local chain born in D.C., their Bethesda shop is a favorite for small-batch, artisanal Italian gelato made daily with high-quality, often locally sourced, ingredients.
• The Family Room Laytonsville (Laytonsville): The Family Room in Laytonsville offers ice cream as part of their offerings, alongside coffee, small bites, and locally sourced gifts. Ice cream has become one of the biggest hits at The Family Room.
• Fryers Roadside (Silver Spring): A smaller, local spot in Silver Spring that garners positive mentions for its ice cream, offering a charming, community-focused experience.
• Grandma’s Ice Cream and Waffles (Rockville): This spot is often mentioned for its soft-serve ice cream, as well as creative sundaes and waffle creations.
• The Icecream Yard (Clarksburg): A newer spot offering handcrafted ice cream in a welcoming atmosphere, providing a fresh option for residents in the northern part of the county.
• Jimmie Cone (Damascus): A true local institution, this classic, old-fashioned ice cream stand is famous for its delicious soft serve, especially when topped with a generous swirl of “jimmies” (sprinkles).
• Koma Cafe (Takoma Park): Known for its specialty coffee & tea, and Italian-inspired pastries and food, Eater DC recently wrote that the unique soft serve ice cream the cafe offers “steals the show.”
• La Gelatteria (Kensington): This shop specializes in authentic Italian gelato, providing a taste of Italy with its rich, dense, and flavorful frozen treats, along with other delightful desserts.
• Max’s Best Ice Cream (Bethesda): A relatively new addition that opened in June 2025, they specialize in artisanal scoops, extreme milkshakes, and elaborate sundaes, using premium, farm-fresh ice cream.
• Mimi’s Handmade Ice Cream (Chevy Chase, Clarksburg, Rockville): Another popular handmade ice cream spot in Montgomery County, Mimi’s is known for offering a delightful variety of unique and classic flavors, all made in small batches.
• Red Hound Pizza (Takoma Park): Red Hound Pizza is celebrating its one year anniversary and has announced an expanded lineup of soft-serve flavors– including a dairy-free option available all the time.
• Sarah’s Handmade Ice Cream (Bethesda, Rockville): Known for its creative and ever-changing flavors and small-batch, locally-sourced ice cream, Sarah’s has become a go-to spot with multiple popular locations within MoCo.
• The Scoop (Potomac): Located in Cabin John Village, The Scoop is a popular ice cream shop opened by Potomac natives Timothy and Mitch Ryoo. They are known for making all their ice cream and sorbets in-house with natural ingredients, offering a wide variety of 24-30 permanent flavors and 8-10 seasonal options. They aim to be a late-night dessert destination and even offer vegan and dairy-free options.
• Shuga x Ice (Silver Spring – Solaire Social Food Hall): This is an African-inspired ice cream brand that stands out with its creative and unique flavors, offering a distinctive taste experience within the Solaire Social Food Hall.
• Sprinkles (Potomac): A long-standing and beloved staple in Potomac Village, Sprinkles offers a classic ice cream experience that has been a community favorite for years.
• Woodbourne Creamery at Rock Hill Orchard (Mount Airy in Montgomery County): Rock Hill Orchard is a fantastic spot that’s home to Woodbourne Creamery, unique as Montgomery County’s only “Cow to Cone” ice cream shop, making ice cream with milk from their own A2A2 Guernsey cows.
• York Castle Tropical Ice Cream (Rockville): This unique shop is celebrated for its Jamaican-style ice creams, featuring exotic tropical fruit flavors like soursop, guava, and passion fruit, offering a refreshing and distinct palate.