SUMMER AND ICE CREAM pair like grilled cheese and tomato soup, pizza and beer, Minnesota and snow. There’s no denying the seasonal craving for ice cream when the heat and humidity crank up.
I find myself reaching more often than I should into the freezer for ice cream. Lately I’ve dished up a creamy blueberry cheesecake flavor. Yum. I almost hesitate to admit that I currently have four cartons of ice cream and one of fro-yo in my freezer after stocking up during a recent sale.
Home stash aside, I also enjoy ice cream when I’m out and about. Never mind that it costs far more than a serving at home. But ice cream served from some mom-and-pop shop tastes so much better, like a carefree summer day. Yum.
Nearby Owatonna is home to The S’Cream and The Blast (also in Northfield). I’ve been to both, which are always summertime busy. Apparently I’m not the only one who can’t bypass a homegrown ice cream shop.
Recently while on the road to a family celebration in far western Minnesota, my husband, Randy, and I happened upon an ice cream shop in Kerkhoven, population around 800. Sweets Ice Cream sits along U.S. Highway 12 in this Swift County community. It’s an ideal spot for an ice cream shop, drawing passing motorists in.
When I saw Sweets Ice Cream, housed in a former gas station, I immediately wanted to photograph the business. I loved the old building and its repurposed use. So we pulled into town, parked on a side street and I headed toward the ice cream shop to photograph it.
That was the plan, or at least my plan. Randy had other ideas. He figured it wouldn’t be too nice to simply snap photos and then leave without buying ice cream. He was right. So we each ordered a single scoop dish of ice cream. The portion size was so generous that we should have ordered one bowl to share. Oh, well. As some say, “Ice cream melts in your tummy.”
Randy got maple nut per the recommendation of another customer who was returning home to Benson after visiting a friend in a Willmar care center. He always treats himself to ice cream, always maple nut, after those visits. I ordered key lime pie ice cream. Yum to both and the engaging conversation we had with our new-found friend.
Some 130 miles east of Kerkhoven in Lakeville, a south metro suburb, another long-time local ice cream shop has drawn my photographic interest. That’s Dairy Delite in the downtown area.
This place has character with its unique building design, blue and pink color, and ice cream art. There’s no mistaking the structure for anything but an ice cream shop.
I’ve not yet ordered ice cream here. But I should.
Then there’s Sue’s Drive In, located in Pierz in central Minnesota. Two years ago Randy and I stopped for an ice cream treat before attending his 50th Healy High School class reunion. The drive in serves a full menu of fast food, not just ice cream.
Once again the vintage look and the small town Americana appeal of this roadside business drew my photographic interest. And the ice cream, of course. On-the-road ice cream always tastes especially delicious, decidedly better than ice cream pulled from my freezer.
TELL ME: Do you have a favorite homegrown ice cream shop? Let’s hear.
© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
i am now really craving ice cream! and it’s 8:00 am. i really treasure the little independent places that have a history and continue to hold their important place in a community. these places are where generations can pass on from one to the other, the joy that comes with the shop, their own history and the joy it gives someone to pass on the tradition to someone else. if you are new to the town, the locals can always recommend their special place for you to enjoy as well. the ones you chose to photograph really show what is so special about them.
when i moved to ann arbor, i was renting a small place in a neighborhood that i knew nothing about, but the price was right and it seemed safe and friendly. my landlord told me that a bonus was having washtenaw dairy in the neighborhood. for months, i had no idea what it was or where it was, because it was a simple cinderblock building with no advertising. when i finally found it while out walking, it was amazing, and the whole town agreed that it was an incredible place judging by the lines. they are known for their delicious ice cream, but also sell a few groceries, dry ice if needed when you lose power, very fresh donuts and 75 cent coffee where locals gather in the morning to sit and talk. the ice cream was the big draw, but it felt like community and i felt like i was home.
This is such a heartwarming story of the importance of neighborhood businesses as community gathering spots. So glad you felt welcomed after being alerted to this dairy.
it is such a gem – their coffee has always been 75 cents and one year they considered raising the price by a quarter, making it a dollar. people got upset because many little groups of people meet there in the morning to share coffee and stay connected to others and they didn’t want them to charge them more. they are very loyal customers, many are groups of seniors on a fixed income and this is their social outlet. the dairy quickly made the decision to keep it the original price and just break even or lose money on it, but they just consider it a donation to the community, their form of community service. everyone was so happy –
Those owners are amazing, kind and compassionate, putting the needs of community above their own business interests.
Oh, Ice Cream!
Everyone loves ice cream, right?
We were at S’cream in Owatonna just last week. We are always on the lookout for ice cream, especially after a bike ride. 😉 Last week, when MAALM were down, we made home-made ice cream. Yum!
It’s been a long time since I had homemade ice cream. Yum. I love The S’cream.
Happy Ice Cream Season, Audrey. Wish I could order one of your favorites right this second. Yum!
Thank you. I’d love to enjoy a bowl of ice cream with you.
“Sweet” post Audrey! I Love little ice cream shops, they have flavors that you just cant get at the DQ. Park Rapids has a nice (newer) Ice cream shop called Shambies Sugar Shack, I believe they have around 30 flavors. My sister treated us there last week, Yum!
Good to hear from you, Jackie. We hope to head to Park Rapids in September for The Talking Stick book release party. I won first place in fiction this year. I would like to spend some time in Park Rapids, if we can work it in. We’ll be staying at the Crosslake cabin.
Lakeville is our home town – born, raised, graduated from school there. Jeff and I were just talking about the ice cream shop – called Tastee Freeze when were we young. You could get a nickel kids cone back then or a regular was 15 cents – big one a quarter!!!You will have to check out Albert Lea’s Eat’n Ice Cream Shoppe – tried last week – fabulously delicious and very very reasonable!!I can’t wait to go back for another option as it was hard to decide!!!Enjoy the rest of your summer ice cream days!!Cathy
Ah, yes, I also remember the days of nickel, dime and quarter cones. Thanks for the tip on the ice cream shoppe in Albert Lea.
Audrey,
Have you ever been to MN Eis ice cream shop in New Ulm? I have wanted to go there for a long time, but have not managed to get there yet.
Paulette Jameson
When I was last in New Ulm, I photographed the shop, but it wasn’t open. So no Eis ice cream for me. I need to visit New Ulm again. I love that city. So much to see there and I certainly have not seen everything, like the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame or the Wanda Gag house.
I have not been to New Ulm yet, and would love to visit. I really need to pick a date–hopefully this fall!
Oh, you need to visit New Ulm. Plan to spend an entire day there if not more. Type “New Ulm” into my blog search engine to read some of the posts I’ve written about this southern Minnesota city. That will get you started on things to see and do, but is certainly not everything New Ulm offers.