Dairy Queen is celebrating the first day of spring by offering a free vanilla cone to customers today, Monday.

If that’s a little plain vanilla for your taste, here are seven local places that jazz up their frozen treats.

Nitro Fog Creamery

Using liquid nitrogen to freeze the ice cream — as opposed to more traditional methods of ice cream making — decreases the size of ice crystals formed, resulting in creamier, smoother ice cream. Nitro Fog Creamery is a family-run independent business that prides itself on making its ice creams and sorbets out of locally sourced organic ingredients. Since the shop uses liquid nitrogen to prepare the ice cream, your order is made right in front of you. The shop also makes an effort to be environmentally conscious by proving compostable napkins, spoons, cups and to-go containers.

Green Jeans Farmery

• Sunday: 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
• Monday-Thursday: 9:30 a.m.-7 p.m.
•  Friday-Saturday: 9:30 a.m.-9 p.m.

Tin Can Alley

• Sunday: 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m.
• Monday-Thursday: 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m.
•  Friday-Saturday: 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m.

I Scream Ice Cream

This eclectic shop features not only sweet treats, but a collection of oddities, poster-plastered walls and a kids’ play area loaded with toys. The shop offers 35 flavors and 36 toppings — pick three flavors no matter what size you choose. There’s also banana splits, shakes, sundaes and malts, chocolate-covered frozen bananas on a stick and fruit smoothies.

2000 Carlisle Blvd NE

• Daily 12 p.m.-7 p.m.

The Paleta Bar LLC.

• Monday-Friday: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

• Monday-Friday: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

• Monday-Friday: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

• Monday-Friday: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

• Monday-Friday: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

• Monday-Friday: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

• Monday-Friday: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Rio Rancho: 2003 Southern SE

• Monday-Friday: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

• Monday-Friday: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Pop Pop’s Italian Ice

This Italian ice shop was first founded in 1997. In 2018 the company changed ownership with the new owners focusing more on a mobile retail unit business model. Now the company has more than six food trucks, which are available to book for events, and a brick-and-mortar location. The shop offers a variety of ice flavors that can be mixed and matched, and purchased in bulk.

6300 San Mateo Ste I-1  NE

• Open Daily: 12:30 p.m.-8 p.m.

Katrina Ice Cream Shop

This family-owned Mexican ice cream shop features a variety of rotating ice cream and paleta flavors with dairy-free options. In addition to the frozen treats, the shop offers aguas frescas, boba frappés and smoothies, mini pancakes, churro shakes and deep fried cookies and cakes. There’s also a selection of savory snacks such as elote chorreado — corn in a cup mixed with mayonnaise and cheeses, surrounded by corn chips topped with more corn and drizzled with sour cream and cheese sauce — elote entero, corn on the cob and nacho options.

60 6th St NW

• Monday: Closed
• Tuesday-Wednesday: 1 p.m.–9 p.m.
• Thursday: 1 p.m.–10 p.m.
• Friday-Sunday: 12 p.m.–10 p.m.

 

Crazy Bomb Cups-Snack Bar

Crazy Bomb Cups first opened in 2019. The shop features more than 60 ice cream and sorbet toppings with Mexican flair. The shop prides itself on its milkshakes, which can be ordered in mason jars, loaded up with a variety of ice creams, cookies and candy toppings. The shop had a Rio Rancho location, which has closed due to staffing issues.

2130 San Mateo NE Suite G

• Monday: Closed
• Tuesday-Sunday: 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m.

Mrs. Sprinkles Ice Cream Truck

This food truck offers ice cream sandwiches made not only with cookies, but also with doughnuts from local coffee shop Rise and Roast.

In addition to the sweets, owner Amanda Chavez also sells hand-crafted ice cream-shaped candles and soaps.

The truck is available for booking for parties, corporate events or weddings. Location and hours vary, check Facebook or Instagram for the most recent news.

The truck will be attending Great New Mexico Food Truck & Craft Beer Festival on Saturday, March 25, 12 p.m.-5 p.m. at Balloon Fiesta Park.