Every year on the day that Dairy Queen opens, backpacks bounce, sneakers pound the pavement, and shouts of excitement echo down Upper Main Street in Edgartown. This year, as per usual, at 2:45 pm sharp, the dismissal bell rang at Edgartown School, unleashing a joyous stampede of students, racing in a breathless sprint for the first sweet taste of spring, when the doors swung open at 3 pm on Thursday.
To an outsider, a Dairy Queen on Martha’s Vineyard might seem out of place, and celebrating the opening of a fast-food chain, tucked within Edgartown’s historic charm, may seem strange. But for local families, the magic that is conjured when those doors open for the season and wide-eyed students race down the street, grinning from ear to ear with their favorite soft-serve in mind, has cemented the store’s position within the Island’s community as an unofficial springtime herald.
For the owners of Dairy Queen, Paul Beeson and Kirsten Anderson, the choice to stick with the 3 pm opening on the first day is deliberate and non-negotiable. Corporate guidelines urge them to unlock at noon, their regular opening hours, but Paul and Kirsten said they wouldn’t trade the excitement in the kids’ faces for anything.
“It’s awesome,” said Paul as they closed up on Thursday.
“It’s as fun as it is every year when you have these kids who are so excited,” added Kirsten. “It kind of is the beginning of summer. We will never open on the first day before 3, because the kids line up and buses come.”
This year, a dedicated group of friends from the Edgartown School continued their five-year tradition of claiming the first spot in line. Jake Stanton, 13, Emmet Sylva, 13, Ben Brown, 10, and Tegan Brown, 12, welcomed newcomers Maverick Sylva, 9, and C.J. Greebe, 13, from Falmouth Academy to the front of the line this year. The crew unanimously selected Maverick, the youngest in the group — eyes wide with thrill — to place the ceremonial first order of the season, entrusting him to carry on the tradition as the older members eventually head to the high school.
Maverick selected a classic chocolate soft-serve in a cone. He said it’s one of his favorite flavors.
“[I feel] happy and thankful,” said Maverick as he ate his ice cream on Thursday. When asked what he would rate the cone on a scale of one to 10, 10 being the best cone he’s ever had, he said a nine.
Brian Stanton, Jake’s father and the group’s steadfast chaperone, said for him, it’s about making memories for the kids: “For me, it’s all about the tradition with the kids. Honestly, I love seeing them happy.”
Stanton’s oldest son, Cam, couldn’t make it this year — he’s a freshman at the high school now — but the kids grabbed a small Mint Oreo Blizzard for him. “He’s too busy with school, and I think we have one more year, then we’re gonna let the other kids take the reins,” said Stanton.
“If you have [almost] a dynasty, I think six years is enough,” he added.
Not every visitor joined the race for ice cream on Thursday; one Oak Bluffs family, led by mother Elizangela Marcal, walked in to order ice cream cake for a special occasion. “We have a birthday tomorrow. My sister is going to be 47,” she said.
According to Dairy Queen’s website, it is currently open four days a week, Thursday to Sunday, from 12 to 8 pm. The store usually closes for the season in mid- to late December.