People line up for ice cream treats every March 1 at this Minnesota Dairy Queen. Why? It’s tradition

MOORHEAD, Minn. (AP) — It’s still winter in Minnesota, but for the people lined up Sunday in single-digit cold at the Moorhead Dairy Queen, spring is in the air.

The annual March 1 opening of the 77-year-old walk-up ice cream shop is a tradition, no matter the weather. Heavy snow, subzero cold — people will brave a blizzard for a Blizzard.

“It just says that we’re tough, and there are things that are really important to us,” said Jerry Protextor, a retired pastor standing in line for a butterscotch milkshake and a chocolate-mint Blizzard. “It’s just a part of community.”

March is very much a winter month in the Upper Midwest, though the weather can vary wildly. The annual opening of the Dairy Queen “heritage store” brings the hope of spring and a familiar promise for people who need something to look forward to, especially with unrest in the world, owners Troy and Diane DeLeon said.

“It’s a sense of unity. It’s a tradition for many families,” Diane DeLeon said.

An average of 1,200 customers stop by on the opening day. Some show up early and wait in their cars. Being first in line brings yearlong bragging rights.

Julie Bergseid arrived before 7 a.m. to be first in line after two years in a row as second.

“Usually there’s a little bit of a line after a bit, so you gotta get here before they start,” she said. “It’s momentous that this is the start of spring, no matter what the temperature. This starts it, going to the DQ, getting your first ice cream of the season.”

Bundled up in snow pants, long underwear, wool socks and mittens, she planned to sit down at a patio table and enjoy her barbecue, peanut butter parfait and a Dilly frozen treat.

“It won’t melt. That’s the nice thing,” Bergseid said.

Customers have their pick from an array of treats found almost nowhere else. Among the favorites is the Mr. Malty, a chocolate malt frozen on a stick; a Curly Shake, a shake on the bottom and a sundae on top; a Monkey Tail, a frozen banana dipped in chocolate on a stick; and a variety of discontinued Blizzard flavors.

“It’s just that we have always had and made those special treats through the years. Even though they’ve been discontinued, we still have them because we have the ingredients and why not make it?” Troy DeLeon said. “If you still have the ingredients, ‘give the customer what they want’ is our feeling.”

The store is grandfathered to a point due to its age and focuses on customer service and having unique items, he said.

The butterscotch milkshake that Protextor sought for his wife can’t be found at any other DQ in the area, he said.

“We have to go to the right Dairy Queen to do what she wants,” he said.

Customers in coats, hats and gloves stood back near the street as others took their turn to go up to the windows to place their orders. No apps or kiosks for ordering here; just a knack for customer service, the DeLeons said.

People brought dogs and small children and took photos under a towering Dilly bar — a beloved chocolate-coated ice cream treat created in the 1950s at the Moorhead DQ. It seemed a bit like a summer day. Almost.

“This is beautiful today. I mean, it’s a little chilly, but the sun’s shining, it will get a little warmer,” Troy DeLeon said. “Typically it’s either snowing or probably closer to zero or below zero, so this is a beautiful day.”