Mayday Ice Cream is throwing open its doors for a full-blown celebration at its Winter Garden scoop shop next Thursday, and the first customers in line walk away with more than just a cone. The artisan ice cream chain will host a ribbon-cutting celebration from noon to 10 p.m. on September 17 at its location at 16406 New Independence Parkway, Suite 120.
The Winter Garden shop actually opened back in June 2026, but next week marks its official grand-opening event, according to the West Orange Times Observer. The ribbon cutting itself kicks off at noon, and Mayday officials posted online, “Come hungry, come early and come celebrate with us.”
Freebies, Swag and a $500 Prize
The first 20 people in line will receive free Mayday Winter Garden t-shirts, while the next 50 in line get free Mayday Winter Garden stickers. On top of that, the shop will offer free kids' scoops all day on September 17, and organizers are running a merch gift basket giveaway that includes stickers, Winter Garden tees, and a $500 gift card.
From St. Augustine Ice Pops to a Statewide Ice Cream Chain
Mayday's roots trace back to St. Augustine, where entrepreneur Stephen DiMare founded the brand in 2018 as a sister concept to his established ice pop company, The Hyppo Gourmet Ice Pops, according to 904 Happy Hour. The name itself is a nod to World War II aviation history: per Visit St. Augustine, it honors bomber pilots who strapped buckets of ice cream mix to Flying Fortresses and other aircraft, letting high-altitude cold and mid-flight vibrations churn the mix into ice cream.
That aviation theme carries through to the menu. Mayday's rotating case features 16 handcrafted flavors, including 10 year-round staples like Queen Salted Caramel and the aptly named The Aviator, plus six-scoop tasting flights for anyone who can't commit to just one, per Jax Restaurant Reviews. The chain also makes its waffle cones, French galette cookies, and meringue-based sprinkles from scratch inside each scoop shop, a detail 904 Happy Hour highlighted as setting Mayday apart from standard ice cream parlors.
Central Florida Expansion Lands in Horizon West
As of this year, Mayday operates 19 scoop shops across Florida, pushing beyond its Northeast Florida roots into Central Florida markets including Lakeland, Tampa, and now Winter Garden, according to the company's own location listings. The Hamlin Town Center address puts the new shop at the commercial heart of Horizon West, a 23,000-acre master-planned community in southwest Orange County built around five mixed-use villages, with Hamlin itself serving as a 600-acre waterfront hub, per LandDesign.
The storefront previously housed Abbott's Frozen Custard. The business asked residents for support in October 2025, according to the Orange Observer. When Mayday first announced its move into Winter Garden in June, its official hours were set as noon to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and noon to 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
The new shop was set to hold its formal opening celebration.
Growth Keeps Pace With Horizon West's Boom
Mayday's arrival adds to a broader wave of investment reshaping the area around Hamlin. The area is experiencing the rapid growth transforming what was once citrus grove land into one of the state's busiest master-planned communities.
For now, the focus in Hamlin is on next Thursday's celebration, where Mayday is promising a full day of scooped-up fun for the neighborhood that's watched the shop grow from a June soft opening into a full-fledged grand-opening event.
