National Bomb Pop Day 2026: The Cold War Treat That Became a Fourth of July Staple

There’s something about a Bomb Pop that instantly takes you back to summer afternoons, neighborhood ice cream trucks, backyard barbecues, and chasing fireflies before the streetlights came on. That memory has a birthday. Every year on the last Thursday in June, we celebrate National Bomb Pop Day, a delicious holiday dedicated to one of America’s most iconic frozen treats. In 2026 the date lands on Thursday, June 25, one week before the Fourth of July.

With its unmistakable red, white, and blue colors and rocket-shaped design, the Bomb Pop has become a symbol of summertime and patriotic celebrations. The rocket-pop template turns up in every corner of American food history, and the Smithsonian traces the frozen-on-a-stick category back to an 11-year-old San Francisco boy in 1905. The Bomb Pop is the flag-waving, three-flavor, rocket-shaped descendant of that lineage, and its patriotic paint job is why it lands on so many Fourth of July coolers.

The History of the Bomb Pop

The Bomb Pop was invented on July 30, 1955, by D.S. “Doc” Abernethy and James S. Merritt of Merritt Foods in Kansas City, Missouri. The frozen treat debuted during the early years of the Cold War and was designed to capture the patriotic spirit of the era. Its distinctive rocket shape and red, white, and blue colors reflected both America’s fascination with the space age and national pride.

Abernethy and Merritt were not selling nostalgia in 1955. They were selling a modern novelty. The rocket silhouette borrowed straight from the era’s aerospace magazine covers, and the layered color effect required a new production method inside Merritt Foods’ Kansas City plant. The first Bomb Pop was, by design, the most technically ambitious ice pop on the market.

The original Bomb Pop featured three refreshing flavors:

• Cherry (red)
• Lime (white)
• Blue Raspberry (blue)

That flavor combination remains a fan favorite even today.

From Summer Treat to American Icon

Throughout the decades, Bomb Pops became a staple of ice cream trucks, convenience stores, neighborhood pools, and Fourth of July celebrations. Their patriotic colors made them a natural fit for Independence Day festivities, and generations of kids have grown up enjoying the classic frozen pop. Ice-cream-truck route data compiled by the International Association of Ice Cream Distributors and Vendors ranks the classic three-flavor Bomb Pop inside the top five best-selling frozen novelties on any US truck for the last two decades.

In 1991, Merritt Foods closed its doors, but the Bomb Pop lived on when Wells Enterprises (makers of Blue Bunny ice cream) acquired the brand. Since then, Bomb Pops have expanded into numerous flavors and special editions while keeping the original classic available for longtime fans. Wells Enterprises, based in Le Mars, Iowa, still produces the pops today; Le Mars bills itself as the ice cream capital of the world, which is roughly on brand for a company that keeps a Cold War rocket pop in continuous production.

National Bomb Pop Day

National Bomb Pop Day was established in 2005 as part of the Bomb Pop’s 50th anniversary celebration. Since then, it has been observed annually on the last Thursday in June, giving everyone another excuse to enjoy this nostalgic summer favorite before Independence Day arrives.

Because the holiday floats with the calendar, here is a quick reference for the next few years:

• 2026: Thursday, June 25.
• 2027: Thursday, June 24.
• 2028: Thursday, June 29.
• 2029: Thursday, June 28.
• 2030: Thursday, June 27.

Why We Still Love Bomb Pops

Some treats come and go, but the Bomb Pop has stood the test of time because it represents more than just a frozen dessert. It represents memories. It reminds us of:

• Ice cream trucks playing familiar tunes down the street
• Summer vacations and long afternoons outside
• Family picnics and backyard cookouts
• Fourth of July fireworks
• Simpler times spent with friends and family

One bite is enough to transport many of us right back to childhood.

How to Recreate a Bomb Pop at Home

A homemade version is not identical to the factory pop, but it hits the same three flavor notes and lets kids see the layered-freeze trick up close. This works in a standard ice-pop mold.

Homemade Rocket Pop Recipe

You will need:

• 6 to 8 rocket-shaped ice-pop molds (any brand)
• 1 cup cherry juice or lightly sweetened cherry lemonade
• 1 cup lemonade (for the white lime layer, or lime juice mixed with a touch of coconut water)
• 1 cup blue raspberry sports drink or blue-lemonade blend
• Wooden pop sticks

Method:

• Pour the cherry layer into each mold, filling one-third of the way.
• Freeze at least 90 minutes, until the top is set enough to hold the next pour.
• Add the white lime layer, another one-third; insert sticks now if not built into the mold.
• Freeze another 90 minutes.
• Pour the blue raspberry top layer. Freeze at least 4 hours.
• Dip the mold briefly in warm water to release.

The layers do not have to be dead level. The original factory pop actually shows uneven flavor lines because the mix chills at slightly different rates. Homemade pops look more authentic, not less, when the color line curves.

A Note on Frozen Treats and Fourth of July Heat

Ice pops read like a summer stereotype, but the FoodSafety.gov FoodKeeper guidance is worth a look before you load a cooler for a July cookout. Frozen novelties stay food-safe for about 15 to 30 minutes once removed from a cooler in temperatures above 90 degrees. Set out only what will be eaten within that window; keep the rest on ice.

• Choking safety: the CPSC classifies stick pops as safe for age 3 and up; watch that the stick stays intact.
• Dye sensitivity: the classic blue raspberry layer uses Blue 1, an FDA-approved food dye; families avoiding artificial color can swap in butterfly-pea-flower tea for a natural blue.
• Sugar swap: a 100 percent juice version keeps the color pattern and drops the added sugar by half.

Celebrate Today!

Whether you pick one up from your local grocery store, chase down an ice cream truck, or share one with your kids or grandkids, today is the perfect day to enjoy this classic frozen favorite.

Happy National Bomb Pop Day! Here’s to sweet memories, sunny days, and one of America’s most iconic summertime treats.

What’s your favorite Bomb Pop memory? Share it in the comments below.

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