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When the sun is beating down on Old Town on a hot July afternoon, nothing sounds better than a sweet treat: good ole’ American ice cream.

This month is the 30th National Ice Cream Month. In 1984 Ronald Reagen dubbed July National Ice Cream Month, and the third Sunday of the month, the 20th this year, as National Ice Cream Day.

During the summer months, ice cream becomes the best date night treat – the alternative to the coffee meeting, a sweeter, creamier treat, and the best thing a nanny can get for a few kids.

“We’re really involved in the community and love the kids,” said Lisa Paugh, owner of Walrus Ice Cream in Fort Collins. “We do a lot of buy-one-get-one-free for different groups, like freshmen, and help with ice cream socials on campus.”

Walrus Ice Cream has been in business for 27 years and continues to employ high school and CSU students, always offering coupons and deals with the CSU campus.

They also always offer a mystery flavor, a promised disgusting flavor clients are only allowed to taste. According to Paugh, many fraternities and sororities on scavenger hunts stop is to try Walrus’s mystery flavor.

Their recipes are top secret, and no preservatives are added until the Oreos or other candies are mixed in – then, Paugh says, you can’t help it.

“Everything we do is in house; we make all the ice cream here and also have gluten-free sugar and waffle cones,” Paugh said. Everything we can keep local, we do.”

Other ice cream establishments in Old Town include Ben and Jerry’s, the national corporation, as well as Kilwin’s, which offers fudge, toffee, caramels and more delectable treats.

According to Becca Midcap, a senior horticulture major, while Ben and Jerry’s is a national corporation, the location is still locally owned and focuses a great deal on catering to locals.

“We are fair trade and there are no GMOs – you would expect otherwise with Ben and Jerry’s being national, but we also have free cone donation where we donate profits to a local non-profit,” Midcap said.

All ice cream joints in Old Town have ever-changing flavors, which enlighten tastebuds with fruity twists, tangy sensations and salty-sweet combinations.

Walrus and Kilwin’s feature the top flavor of the summer: salted caramel.

“People love the salty, sweet mixture … it is our top seller in ice cream, fudge and toffee,” said Kailee Nguyen, a sophomore dietician major and Kilwin employee.

According to CSU horticulture senior Charlotte Donatelli, the ice cream at Kilwin’s is specially made in the Midwest, where they use a lower percentage of butter fat content so there is less air in the ice cream when they whip it, making it creamier.

Whether it be secret recipes, tightly-whipped ice cream or mainstream promised goodness, Old Town is popping with ice cream-goers and ice cream sales are at an all-time high as establishments celebrate National Ice Cream Month.

Collegian Senior Reporter Josephine Bush can be reached at entertainment@collegian.com.