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Nearly 70 Years Of Sweet Treats And Warm Memories
Serving the finest ice
creams and candies in the Washington
DC area since 1938, Gifford's Ice Cream & Candy Co. holds fond memories for generations
of parents and children. They remember bundling the family into the car during Thanksgiving 
or Christmas in search of the perfect holiday cake. Or recall visits to the Bethesda store
for a summer treat. Or feel like kids again when remembering the personal hot fudge pitchers
that accompanied their sundaes. And just as Gifford's has a special place in each of our
customers' hearts, we treasure each memory even more. If you have one you'd like to share,
send it along to info@giffords.com.
"Ice cream was always a special-occasion dessert for our family. And every Thanksgiving
and Christmas we went to Gifford's ice cream store and bought one of those frozen ice cream
cake rolls with the silhouette of a turkey or Christmas tree rolled inside. The turkeys were
pumpkin colored and the trees red or green, but they were ice cream, too - and very intriguing. 
It took half a day to drive in and select it. It was a real family outing. All of the six
kids went. It was like going to select the Christmas tree."
- Patrick O'Connell, The Inn at Little Washington.
"I remember when I was growing up during the holidays at my grandparents' that they
would always have an ice cream Yule log for that specific holiday; e.g., for Thanksgiving
it would have a turkey in the middle. Do you still make those today? Just curious - would
love to surprise some family members!"
- Ellen Buch
"I just wanted to let you know that Gifford's Ice Cream and Candy was a memorable
part of my childhood. My grandparents, Margaret and Wilbert Dinger, lived in Silver Spring
until their deaths in the 1970 and 1982. My four sisters and I lived in Norfolk, VA. Every
time our grandparents came to visit they would bring Gifford's ice cream packed in dry ice.
Swiss chocolate with butterscotch sauce was my grandfather's favorite. My younger sister
Robin was recently in Washington on business and ran across some Gifford's candy in a gift
shop. She shipped the rest of us some for Christmas, the first I have had in 30 years. Receiving
the candy brought back wonderful memories of our beloved grandparents. Thank you for the
memories."
-Debbie Plauman, Hampton, GA
"I have wonderful memories of Gifford's! Not only was the ice cream the best around,
but the candy at Easter was the best. My dad used to get me a chocolate butter cream egg
every year. It just wouldn't have been Easter without that egg! I think it was the location
on Lee Highway I was thinking about, although I remember going to the location in Bethesda
as well."
- Karen V. Cooper
"How I loved going to Gifford's when I was a child! It was a very special treat for
my parents to take my sister and me to your Arlington store. I especially loved the Swiss
Sundae and the Alpine Split! Having evacuated recently, I am back in Arlington, this time
with my children. I assumed Gifford's was long gone, but was amazed and delighted to find
your web site. I am looking forward to treating my children to a Gifford's experience at
your Bethesda location. Do you still have the wonderful Swiss Sundaes? At any rate, thank
you for still being there!"
- Amy Kassens Delery
"I just wanted to let you know that Gifford's Ice Cream and Candy was a memorable
part of my childhood. My grandparents, Margaret and Wilbert Dinger, lived in Silver Spring
until their deaths in the 1970 and 1982. My four sisters and I lived in Norfolk, VA. Every
time our grandparents came to visit they would bring Gifford's ice cream packed in dry ice.
Swiss chocolate with butterscotch sauce was my grandfather's favorite. My younger sister
Robin was recently in Washington on business and ran across some Gifford's candy in a gift
shop. She shipped the rest of us some for Christmas, the first I have had in 30 years. Receiving
the candy brought back wonderful memories of our beloved grandparents. Thank you for the
memories."
-Debbie Plauman, Hampton, GA
"I remember the treat of going to Giffords at Baileys Crossroads with my family in the early
to mid 1960s. I recall that the building was rather art deco looking done in light pink and blue colors.
It appeared unchanged for decades. There was table service and, one day, as we sat eating our sundaes
and a huge malt served in what appeared to be a flower vase, my parents spotted singer Kate Smith sitting
at the next table. I sensed great excitement on my parents part, though I was clueless as to who she was.
All I know is that she was a rather large, round woman who was eating the biggest sundae Giffords offered
at that time, a huge amount of ice cream in what looked like a brandy snifter called a “BIG TOP”. My
parents went over to her table and returned in a few minutes with Ms. Smith's autograph scrawled on one of
the paper cocktail napkins that came with our ice cream. It remained a great family story for many years
after and one of the happy memories I have of Giffords in the 1960s"
- Dave Pruiksma
"It isn't really possible the tell you how much Giffords influenced the lives of all my family members:
my grandfather began taking us to the one in Bethesda, back in the 1940's I was too small to even see into the
cases which held the candy. All my dear family members have loved Giffords through the years. From the 1950'
until 1985 we had about 30 staff every summer at our children's overnight camp. Staff members on their nights
off would race to the one in Silver Spring - then the closet one. Yound men tried that tub of ice cream....bets
were made and won about eating the most, and fairly heated arguments were held about chich product was the BESt....
Thanks for keeping Giffords going!!!!!"
- SS
Click here to add your own Gifford's story or memory.
Relive warm memories and create a lifetime of new ones at Gifford's Ice Cream & Candy
Co. For nearly 70 years, we've been the Washington DC area's premier purveyor of gourmet
ice creams and candies. To
place an order or obtain more information, click here.
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