Is there anything better than ice cream?

Perhaps only free ice cream.

The Southern Standard gave away around 600 banana splits on Friday during our annual customer appreciation day.

Smiles were on the menu in addition to ice cream, cherries and chocolate syrup. Visitors flocked to the newspaper office to enjoy a banana split, sometimes two.

Southern Standard subscriber and master gardener Diane Bond says she loves the newspaper. Asked if she liked her ice cream, Diane said with a full mouth “umm huh.”

She stopped by the Standard with Billie Foster before a lunch trip to Railroad Café at Depot Bottom.

“We’re old enough to eat our dessert first,” said Billie. “This is an appetizer.”

Autumn Myers wanted to partake in Banana Day with her children, Nolan and Nova.

“I’ve been reading about this so we wanted to come see what it was about,” said Autumn.

Standard mascot Bonnie Bear made an appearance after an extended COVID hibernation. Bonnie watched as the banana splits were being made in assembly line fashion, then mingled with a few children in the crowd.

June Dairy Month chair Molly Dodd was busy making sure the table of banana splits remained fully stocked. She’s a rising senior at Warren County High School.

“I drink milk every morning,” said Molly in promoting the importance of dairy.

Asked her favorite dairy product, Molly didn’t hesitate.

“It’s strawberry ice cream,” she said. “Ice cream in general because it keeps you cool on a hot summer day, but strawberry ice cream in particular.”

Ice cream was only part of the fun. Customers lined up throughout the day to take advantage of discount subscription prices for the award-winning Southern Standard.

In addition to the print version of the newspaper, there’s a Southern Standard app and online version at www.southernstandard.com.

“We’re thrilled there continues to be strong interest in our product,” said Standard publisher Patricia Zechman. “We’re very appreciative of our customers and our community. It’s an honor to report the news and it's a responsibility we take very seriously. Having accurate information is one of the foundations of our democracy and one of the reasons freedom of the press is covered under the rights of the First Amendment.”