Top 5 Annual Free Food Events

There’s no better way to get some free publicity and generate goodwill than by offering up free food.  Here’s my Top 5 Annual Free Food Events – which ones are your favs?

1. Dress Like A Burrito Day

What would convince thousands of normally reserved, well-dressed people to wrap themselves in aluminum foil?  Chipotle’s Dress Like A Burrito Day, held every year on October 31st.  Some people make a foil hat, some wrap themselves completely in silver fabric, and some even make tortilla earrings.

Chipotle gives a free burrito to anyone who dresses up, and they’re pretty lenient with what constitutes dressing like a burrito.  Get there early, the line forms quickly, but typically moves pretty fast!  I’ve even heard some people say they dress up and then visit every Chipotle in town on Halloween and get a week’s worth of free meals.

2. Cow Appreciation Day

A higher standard is held for Chick Fil A’s Cow Appreciation Day, held annually in July.  You’ll need to dress “from head to toe” like a cow in order to get a free meal, but there’s no place that’s more fun to act crazy then Chick Fil A.

If you’re not into pasting black spots all over your body, they’ll still give you a free sandwich for a well-meaning attempt.  Here’s our Cow Appreciation Day costumes from last year!

3. IHOP’S National Pancake Day

Who can resist free pancakes?  IHOP’s annual event is held annually in February, on Fat Tuesday.  I had no idea there was a Mardi Gras connection until today.  Here’s what their website says:

Known also as Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras, National Pancake Day dates back several centuries to when the English prepped for fasting during Lent. Strict rules prohibited the eating of all dairy products during Lent, so pancakes were made to use up the supply of eggs, milk, butter and other dairy products…hence the name Pancake Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday.

So for those of us who have never had a desire to do anything for Mardi Gras, I guess we do celebrate it by attending National Pancake Day!

4. Tax Day at MaggieMoo’s

What better way to relieve tax woes than with some free ice cream!  Maggie Moo’s offers up a freebie every year on April 15th as an “Economic Relief” package.  I’m guessing some of our waistlines felt the impact of this economic relief more than our wallets have felt from the economic relief packages from the government! ;)

Hot off the press: this year, they’ll be serving up a free slice of MaggieMia’s Pizza from 3-7 PM on Tax Day!

5. Your Birthday!

This is perhaps the best annual free food event of all, because unless your birthday falls on one of these other free food holidays, there are no crowds to fight!  Sign up for all the restaurant e-clubs that offer birthday treats and you will not have to pay for lunch for two straight weeks.

Most restaurants send you a coupon for a free meal in the week leading up to and the week following your birthday.  Red Robin sends a free burger, nearly every ice cream place sends free ice cream, you’ll get a free bowl from Noodles, Qdoba usually sends something, there will be a free sandwich from the Spicy Pickle… It’s the best free food event of all!

Go here to find a long, long list of all the places that offer you a treat on your birthday.  You’ll have to be signed up for their e-club on mostof them, so make sure you get signed up ASAP so they don’t miss your special day!

What are your favorite free food events? I asked on Twitter and realized there are even more: Denny’s does a free Grand Slam day in February, and Auntie Anne’s does Free Pretzel Day.