Mark your calendars with the Top National Days For Freebies And Deals from this list for free food, drinks, and more.
For more ways to save and stretch your dollars, check out all of our frugal posts.
Each year, there are a ton of National Days where fast food chains, restaurants, stores, and more offer free food and special deals to celebrate those holidays.
We don’t want you to miss out on any of the goodies.
So, what we’ve done is put together this great list of the top national days for freebies and deals. We broke it down by month, so you can easily figure out which holidays are coming up.
We also added a few other recurring freebies during the year (like free National Park Days) and birthday freebies at the end of the post so that you can add those to your calendar as well.
Top National Days For Freebies And Deals:
The names of the national days are clickable, so you’ll be able to click through and get some more information about the national holiday and the offers for that day.
January
National Bagel Day
Thursday, January 15, 2026
Bagel shops and grocery stores offer free and cheap bagels to celebrate the carb-tastic holiday.
National Popcorn Day
Monday, January 19, 2026
Movie theaters lead the pack of deals with free popcorn, deals on refills, and more.
February
National Frozen Yogurt Day
Friday, February 6, 2026
It might be a little cold to think about frozen treats, but you can get a lot of free frozen yogurt on this day, so don’t miss out.
Valentine’s Day
Saturday, February 14, 2026
To celebrate love, a ton of restaurants offer freebies and deals.
And, there’s also a ton of heart-shaped food for Valentine’s Day.
Random Acts Of Kindness Day
Tuesday, February 17, 2026
There are a bunch of places offering BOGO deals, so you can have one for you and share one with a friend.
National Strawberry Day
Friday, February 27, 2026
A bunch of places are celebrating the fruit and the flavor.
Leap Day
Tuesday, February 29, 2028
Leap Day only happens once every four years, so a lot of places celebrate by offering deals for 29% off or buy one get one for 29 cents sales.
March
National Pancake Day (IHOP only)
Tuesday, March 3, 2026
Mark your calendar for next year to get your free short stack of pancakes at IHOP when you make a donation to the Children’s Miracle Network hospitals.
National Meatball Day
Monday, March 9, 2026
Celebrate balls of meat with these deals on meatball subs and spaghetti and meatballs.
National Pi Day
Saturday, March 14, 2026
Pi Day is dubbed so because the Pi, in math, is 3.14. It’s a good excuse for restaurants to offer discounted or free pizza or sweet pie. We go to Blaze Pizza every year because you can get a pizza for only $3.14. It’s my favorite pizza, so it’s a great deal.
Side note: This isn’t National Pizza Day. That’s celebrated annually on February 9. And, while we do have a list of homemade pizza recipes to celebrate that day, pizza shops don’t offer any special offers on that day.
St. Patrick’s Day
Tuesday, March 17, 2026
St. Patrick’s Day being on a weekday isn’t really that fun because you can’t go all out on a worknight. But, there are still a ton of freebies and deals to celebrate being Irish (or being Irish for the day, anyway).
First Day Of Spring
Friday, March 20, 2026
Get free ice cream, free Italian ice, free daffodils and more to celebrate the end of winter and the start of spring.
April
April Fools’ Day
Wednesday, April 1, 2026
No jokes. There are a bunch of freebies and deals for April Fools’ Day.
National Burrito Day
Thursday, April 2, 2026
Get free burritos all over town on this fun food holiday.
Free Cone Day
Tuesday, April 14, 2026
Ben & Jerry’s hosts free cone day annual to give out free ice cream to its customers.
Side note: My favorite ice cream is Ben & Jerry’s butter pecan, which is only sold in scoop shops, so that’s my recommendation for what you should get on this holiday.
Tax Day
Wednesday, April 15, 2026
Filing your taxes isn’t so bad when you realize you can get a free cookie, Italian ice, and more.
Wawa Day
Thursday, April 16, 2026
Wawa has really good coffee. And everyone can get a free cup on Wawa Day every year.
National Cold Brew Day
Monday, April 20, 2026
Celebrate coffee’s colder cousin, cold brew, on this day.
420 Day
Monday, April 20, 2026
If you know about 420, you know. And if you don’t, just know there are a ton of food deals on 4/20 in case you get hungry.
Administrative Professionals Day
Wednesday, April 22, 2026
Thank the admin who runs your office with these deals and savings today.
Earth Day
Wednesday, April 22, 2026
Everyone should do their part to recycle all year round, but companies push sustainability on Earth Day with a bunch of freebies for when you recycle.
National Pretzel Day
Sunday, April 26, 2026
You can get free pretzels from stores like Auntie Anne’s to celebrate.
May
Free Comic Book Day
Saturday, May 2, 2026
Get up to eight free comic books to kick off your collection.
Cinco de Mayo
Tuesday, May 5, 2026
Get free tacos, discounted drinks, and more at restaurant’s Cinco de Mayo celebrations.
National Hamburger Day
Thursday, May 28, 2026
A ton of burger restaurants offer deals on burgers (both free and BOGO), shakes, and more.
National Flip Flop Day
Thursday, May 28, 2026
Tropical Smoothie Cafe officially started this unofficial holiday to celebrate its 10th anniversary. Each year, customers who come into participating shops wearing (you guessed it) flip flops can get a free smoothie. Donations to the Camp Sunshine program are accepted that day, but not required.
June
National Doughnut Day
Friday, June 5, 2026
Free and buy one get one free donuts are the highlight of this holiday.
First Day Of Summer
Sunday, June 21, 2026
There are lots of ice cream deals (plus a few others) to celebrate the longest day of the year.
July
July 4th
Saturday, July 4, 2026
Independence Day isn’t just a day for fireworks. It’s a day for freebies and deals too.
National Fried Chicken Day
Monday, July 6, 2026
It’s a day to get free and cheap fried chicken (and sandwiches because not every restaurant sells chicken on the bone).
World Chocolate Day
Tuesday, July 7, 2026
It’s not a national day, but national brands do celebrate it (because everyone likes an excuse to celebrate chocolate).
7-Eleven Day
Saturday, July 11, 2026
This day is a big deal for us because it’s Pete’s birthday. It’s also a big deal for 7-Eleven because of the date, obviously. To celebrate, the brand’s convenience stores give out free Slurpees to customers.
National French Fry Day
Friday, July 10, 2025
You can score free fries at places like Burger King, McDonald’s, White Castle, and more.
National Hot Dog Day
Wednesday, July 15, 2026
Get your fill of free hot dogs on this annual celebration.
National Ice Cream Day
Sunday, July 19, 2026
Free soft serve ice cream and more are given away by ice cream shops this day.
Free Tea Day
July 2026 (Date not announced yet)
Each year, McAlister’s Deli celebrates Free Tea Day (usually on the third Thursday in July) and gives out free tea-based drinks to everyone.
National Drive-Thru Day
Friday, July 24, 2026
You can earn free food and discounts from the comfort of the front seat of your car.
National Chicken Wing Day
Wednesday, July 29, 2026
Each year, restaurant chains offer deals on boneless or bone-in chicken wings to celebrate the holiday that was started in Buffalo New York.
National Avocado Day
Saturday, July 31, 2026
You can get free guacamole and cheap avocados all day long.
August
National Root Beer Float Day
Thursday, August 6, 2026
A&W celebrates this national holiday by giving A&W Mug Club members a coupon for a free small root beer float. Last year, the coupon was applied to the member’s loyalty account on July 6 and was valid through August 6. If we hear that’s the case for this year, we’ll update this post with that information.
September
Labor Day
Monday, September 7, 2026
Many stores offer deals on clothing, sneakers, and similar items. There are also deals on food for the long weekend. It’s known for good sales on major appliances and furniture deals as well.
National Cheeseburger Day
Friday, September 18, 2026
There are a ton of ways to get really cheap cheeseburgers to celebrate National Cheeseburger Day.
International Talk Like A Pirate Day
Saturday, September 19, 2026
Long John Silver’s participates in this annual event (Side note: Krispy Kreme used to and made this day popular, but it doesn’t participate anymore).
First Day Of Fall
Tuesday, September 22, 2026
Freebies and deals, like coffee and treats, are a great way to celebrate the end of summer and the shortening of days.
National Pancake Day
Saturday, September 26, 2026
Not to be confused with IHOP’s National Pancake Day celebration on Fat Tuesday, this is the original National Pancake Day.
National Coffee Day
Tuesday, September 29, 2026
A ton of coffee shops will offer free coffee or a BOGO deal to celebrate this day — which will leave you very caffeinated.
October
National Taco Day
Sunday, October 4, 2026
Get free tacos all over when you celebrate this tasty holiday.
National Dessert Day
Wednesday, October 14, 2026
Get free desserts, like free doughnuts and free pie bites, to celebrate this sweet holiday.
Halloween
Saturday, October 31, 2026
Everyone knows kids can get free candy on Halloween. But did you know there are a ton of chain and local restaurants that offer discounts and freebies for your tiny ghouls and goblins?
November
National Sandwich Day
Tuesday, November 3, 2026
Find some deals on sandwiches at sub shops nationwide.
Election Day
Tuesday, November 3, 2026
Not everyone can agree on who should be president, but we can all agree that free stuff is better than paying for stuff.
National Fried Chicken Sandwich Day
Monday, November 9, 2026
Get a free or cheap chicken sandwich for lunch or dinner to celebrate this clucking delicious holiday.
Veterans Day
Wednesday, November 11, 2026
There are a ton of freebies and deals for active military members and veterans to thank them for serving our country.
Black Friday
Friday, November 27, 2026
Black Friday is a great day to find a ton of sales, freebies (although not as many as in the past), and more.
December
National Cookie Day
Friday, December 4, 2026
You can get free cookies and other sweet deals (see what I did there) to celebrate National Cookie Day.
Free Shipping Day
Monday, December 14, 2026
Free Shipping Day is the last day to guarantee gifts with regular shipping with arrive before Christmas. To help you with sending those gifts and to make sure they get where they’re going on time, many online retailers offer free shipping when you shop.
New Year’s Eve
Thursday, December 31, 2026
Get free coffee to help you make it to midnight, cheap cookies, discounted pizza, and more.
Free Admission Days
Museum Day
This program may be on hold for 2026.
The Smithsonian magazine annually hosts Museum Day and offers free admission to various museums around the country. We went to the Wilmington Railroad Museum a few years ago as part of the program.
Tickets are required to be reserved in advance.
Free National Park Days
The National Park Service waives admission for National Parks that charge an entrance fee on certain days during the year. For 2026, those days are:
- February 16: Presidents Day (Washington’s Birthday)
- May 25: Memorial Day
- June 14: Flag Day/President Trump’s birthday
- July 3 to 5: Independence Day weekend
- August 25: 110th Birthday of the National Park Service
- September 17: Constitution Day
- October 27: Theodore Roosevelt’s birthday
- November 11: Veterans Day
Museums On Us
The first weekend of every month
Bank Of America offers free museum admission to participating museums, gardens, and more to its customers on the first weekend of every month.
Birthday Freebies
There are so many restaurants that offer you freebies to celebrate your birthday. Some (like Starbucks) are only valid on your actual birthday, some are valid for a week (like Firehouse Subs), and some are valid indefinitely (thanks for that change, Jersey Mike’s).
We have them all listed in our huge list of Birthday Freebies and Deals, so be sure to check that out before your birthday because the offers are available for loyalty members only.
Which of these national days do you look most forward to every year? Let us know in the comments.