Roughly 1,200 people in Moorhead spent their Sunday doing the most Minnesota thing possible: standing in single-digit cold for ice cream and calling it the start of spring. Bundled in parkas and wool hats, they packed the sidewalk in front of the town’s historic Dairy Queen, snaking past the storefront as locals locked in bragging rights for the year’s first Blizzard and Dilly Bar.
The Associated Press documented the turnout and the long-running March 1 ritual, noting that the shop typically sees about 1,200 customers on opening day. According to the outlet, some people showed up early and waited in their cars for hours before the window opened, and many made a point of posing for photos under the giant Dilly Bar that looms over the shop’s front.
A Walk-Up With A Long History
The Moorhead Dairy Queen traces its roots to 1949 and bills itself as one of the chain’s heritage locations, a designation that lets it keep older recipes and menu items that newer franchises do not offer. The shop’s website notes it is the birthplace of the Dilly Bar and that it still serves exclusive treats such as Monkey Tails and Mr. Malties, alongside a menu that runs seasonally from March 1 through October. For more on the backstory, see the history section on the Moorhead Dairy Queen's website.
How Owners Get The Shop Ready
Owners Troy and Diane DeLeon say the March 1 madness does not just happen overnight. “Basically two weeks ago is when we started,” Troy told local reporters, as staff got to work making and freezing hand-dipped Dilly Bars ahead of opening day. Coverage from KVRR Local News notes that the DeLeons bought the business in 1995 and have kept the walk-up window and much of the old-school menu intact, a big reason the tradition still draws such a crowd.
Why People Still Brave The Cold
Ritual and nostalgia do a lot of the heavy lifting. Customers show up for treats they cannot easily find anywhere else and for the shared experience of that first cone of the season, even when the weather feels more like mid-January. AccuWeather reported single-digit temperatures on Sunday, with an AccuWeather RealFeel® near zero, yet locals told reporters that the bitter cold only made the annual opening feel more like the unofficial kickoff to spring.
The scene did not stay a local secret for long. National outlets picked up the story, and a video clip from Weather.com helped broadcast the sidewalk line, the frosty breath, and the giant Dilly Bar sign to viewers well beyond the Red River Valley. Between the town lore, the made-to-order treats, and the old-school walk-up window, Moorhead’s DQ looks ready to pull another season of crowds to the curb.
