US EditionMoorhead Dairy Queen Opens March 1 to Mark Spring and Preserve Heritage
The 77-year-old walk-up shop draws about 1,200 customers annually and preserves unique legacy menu items unavailable elsewhere in the Dairy Queen system.
- On March 1, 2026, hundreds of customers braved single-digit cold outside the Moorhead Dairy Queen in Moorhead, Minnesota for its 76th annual opening.
- Since August 1, 1949, the Moorhead Dairy Queen heritage store has operated under standards set by founders Bob and Phyllis Litherland, owners Troy and Diane DeLeon said it offers continuity amid global unrest.
- The shop still operates without apps or kiosks, hand-dips its Dilly Bars invented on-site in 1955, and offers unique items like the Mr. Malty, Curly Shake, and Monkey Tail.
14 Articles
14 Articles
People line up for ice cream treats every March 1 at this Moorhead Dairy Queen. Why? It's tradition
It might still be winter in Minnesota, but spring is in the air for people lined up at the Dairy Queen in Moorhead, Minnesota, for its annual opening. The event is a community tradition, no matter what the weather.
Historic Moorhead Dairy Queen Opens March 1st for 77th Year of Business
MOORHEAD, MN (KVRR) – Even though the operation looks seamless from the outside, it takes a lot of work to get the historic Moorhead Dairy Queen prepared for its annual opening. “Basically two weeks ago is when we started,” explained owner Troy DeLeon. “We start with soft serve, and we start making dilly bars, because we have to make them, freeze them down, dip them, freeze them down, bag them up.” That’s just part of the process Troy and his wi…
Associated Press News
People line up for ice cream treats every March 1 at this Minnesota Dairy Queen. Why? It's tradition
It might still be winter in Minnesota, but spring is in the air for people lined up at the Dairy Queen in Moorhead, Minnesota, for its annual opening.
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