When is National Ice Cream Sandwich Day?

National Ice Cream Sandwich Day celebrates a slab of ice cream between two cookies or soft wafers, every August 2.

Monday, August 2, 2027

in 278 days

The one after

Wednesday, August 2, 2028

Every year

August 2 every year

Informal observance

National Ice Cream Sandwich Day is a day for the classic ice cream sandwich: a slab of ice cream pressed between two cookies or soft wafers. It falls on August 2 every year, whatever day of the week that turns out to be.

The day is informal. Day-calendar sites and trade groups list it, but no law or proclamation names it, so it is not an official holiday.

Informal observance. An informal observance, listed by day-calendar sites and trade groups. It is not a proclaimed holiday.

Simple ways to mark the day

Use the Scoop Planner to work out how many pints or quarts of ice cream you need to build sandwiches for a class or office.
Make sandwiches at home by pressing a slab of softened ice cream between two cookies, then freezing them until firm.
Check the ice cream container size chart to see how many servings each tub holds, from a pint to a 3 gallon tub.
If you are carrying sandwiches to a picnic or event, the Dry Ice and Cooler Calculator shows how much dry ice keeps them frozen.

Plan it with these

Dry Ice and Cooler Calculator

How much dry ice for ice cream

Plan the dry ice for a cooler of ice cream, or see how long regular ice will hold it firm.
Scoop Planner

How much ice cream for a party

Enter your guests, servings and scoop size to see how much ice cream to buy, in containers and dollars.
Container size chart

Ice cream container sizes, from pint to 3 gallon tub

Ice cream container sizes used to be simple. Today the tub that looks like a half gallon often holds less.

Where the day comes from

National Ice Cream Sandwich Day is an informal observance listed by day-calendar sites and trade groups, not a proclaimed holiday. No law or proclamation names it. It simply comes around every August 2, and people mark it by eating, making or sharing ice cream sandwiches.

Its start is a mystery. National Day Calendar lists the day and says it is still researching its origin, so we cannot tell you who started it or when. If you are writing about the day for a newsletter or a social post, that is the honest version of the story.

The treat itself is easy to describe: a slab of ice cream between two cookies or soft wafers. It also ranks high with fans. IDFA reports that in its 2026 trends survey, ice cream sandwiches came in as the second favorite format, picked by 24 percent of respondents, behind the classic cone at 40 percent. That makes the day a simple one to plan around. For a class, an office or a backyard group, a box of ready-made sandwiches or a tray of homemade ones covers it, and nobody needs bowls or spoons.

Questions people ask

Is National Ice Cream Sandwich Day an official holiday?

No. It is an informal observance. Day-calendar sites and trade groups list it, but no law or proclamation names it, so it is not a proclaimed holiday. You can still mark it any way you like, at home, at school or at work.