Free Dairy Queen/Rita's Ice Monday

Take your pick, Monmouth County, or get both: It's free cone day at Dairy Queen and free Italian ice/water ice at Rita's.

Yes, to celebrate the first day of spring (March 20), Rita's Italian Ice (we always call it "water ice") is offering a free Italian ice between noon and 9 p.m. and Dairy Queen is offering a free small vanilla cone. Psst, Rita's will also offer its PEEPS flavor today. Dairy Queen gives away the ice cream as part of a fundraiser for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals; last year Free Cone Day raised $200,000! Here are the Rita's and Dairy Queen locations in Monmouth County:

Dairy Queen, Hazlet 3047 NJ-35, Hazlet, NJ 07730 (732) 739-0064

Dairy Queen, Lincroft 673 Newman Springs Rd, Lincroft, NJ 07738 (732) 747-4569

Dairy Queen, South Amboy 982 US Highway 9, South Amboy, NJ 08879 (732) 721-3099

Dairy Queen, Belmar 827 12th Ave, Belmar, NJ 07719 (732) 681-1262

Dairy Queen, Freehold 701 Park Ave, Freehold, NJ 07728 (732) 845-1144

Dairy Queen, Red Bank 449 NJ-35, Red Bank, NJ 07701 (732) 741-3433

Rita's Parlin 3310 Washington Rd, Parlin, NJ 08859 (732) 721-7482

Rita's of Englishtown 342 U.S. 9, Englishtown, NJ 07726 (732) 617-8088

Rita's Union Beach 865 NJ-36, Union Beach, NJ 07735 (732) 888-9005

Rita's Old Bridge 2535 County Rd 516, Old Bridge, NJ 08857 (732) 679-1700

Rita's of Eatontown 76 NJ-35, Eatontown, NJ 07724 (732) 460-0075

Rita's of Freehold 47 W Main St, Freehold, NJ 07728 (732) 409-7482