It's one of the surefire signs of Spring in Maine; the opening of Gifford's Family-Owned Ice Cream stands.

It's not unusual, despite whatever weather Mother Nature throws our way, to see a line of people wrapped around Gifford's stands on opening day, waiting for a taste of that homemade goodness.

Those newly trained scoopers put their knowledge and skills to the test when the stands open.

I'm happy to report that the wait is almost over! In fact, for folks in Bangor, Gifford's opens this Friday, March 14th at noon!

The Gifford's stand in Waterville will follow suit the Friday after that (the 21st) and the one in Skowhegan two weeks later on Friday, April 4th.

Along with the opening of the stands, Gifford's announced the return of some favorite flavors which were not available last year. You might remember that in February of 2023, the Gifford's production plant in Skowhegan accidentally caught fire.

Read More: Great News About Gifford's Ice Cream!

The plant required a good deal of repair, and as such, the folks at Gifford's had to temporarily halt the production of some of their flavors, and outsource some of the ice cream making to trusted colleagues in other creameries out of state.

Gifford's marketing manager, Lauren Healy, says things are finally back up and running at the plant, so the flavors are coming back, along with some fun new ones!

"Additionally, fan-favorite flavors like award-winning French Vanilla and seasonal Grape-Nuts®, a New England classic, are making their highly anticipated return
to the stands. While French Vanilla will be available on opening day, Grape-Nuts will make its return later this spring. These fan favorites, along with a variety of
tasty limited-edition seasonal scoops, will join an exciting roster of new flavors that's sure to be a home run..."

This season's new flavors include Cookie Curveball, Cold Brew PB Chip, NY Cheesecake, Mint Patty Frozen Yogurt, Vanilla Bean, and Vanilla Pretzel Caramel.

In addition to new flavors, Staci Gifford says that the Waterville stand will now offer an 18-hole Mini Golf experience, complete with Maine theme obstacles.
“There’s nothing better than seeing our stands come back to life for the season...we know our customers count down the days until opening day, and so do we. With milestone anniversaries and exciting new additions this year, we’re looking forward to celebrating with our loyal fans.”

Five generations of the Gifford family have owned and operated Gifford's Ice Cream, which is known throughout the region for its homemade, old-fashioned slow-churned ice cream.

You can check out more about the company, their stands, and their products by going to their website.