National Ice Cream Day, which is celebrated every third Sunday in July, was established in 1984 by Ronald Reagan as a way to promote the important work of the dairy industry.

Locally, the Friends of Springton Manor Farm (SMF) will celebrate the day with an ice cream social on Sunday, July 21, from 2 to 5 p.m. Admission and ice cream are free, but donations will be accepted. Proceeds will directly benefit the farm.

Friends members will serve the ice cream, including vanilla and chocolate, plus additional flavors, on the front porch of SMF's farm complex area near the Great Barn. A sundae-making station will also be available.

"We will have jimmies, chocolate syrup, maraschino cherries and some crushed cookies," said Robin Spurlino, Friends of SMF vice president, who serves alongside Friends president Brad Addison.

Other activities during the day will include a photo booth, face painting, cornhole and wagon rides through the park. "The Chester County Parks + Recreation and Katie Cook (special events and program coordinator) have become big supporters of this event, and the county will be supplying music; fairy hair, where they put strands of color in your hair; and an appearance by Bubbletopia, a bubble-blowing company that does giant bubbles," said Spurlino. "The Friends will also have crafts."

Live music will be provided by Paul Wilkinson, who will perform folk and bluegrass music. He was also the entertainment during Sheep and Wool Day at SMF.

Spurlino said that the ice cream social is popular, noting that about 500 people attended last year. Volunteering at the event are Friends members and staff members from SMF. "The Friends contribute about 15 active volunteers," noted Spurlino. "We work with the parks staff and facilities department to bring this event to the public."

While at SMF, which is a demonstration farm, visitors can tour the barn, which is home to more than 30 farm animals, including sheep, goats and chickens. The barn's newest arrivals are rabbits. The Family Farm Museum, located within the Great Barn, contains seasonal tools and apparatus used on Chester County farms from the 1700s to the 1900s. SMF, a 306-acre park, also includes 7 miles of walking and horse riding trails, a Victorian flower garden, a butterfly garden, a pollinator meadow and picnic areas.

Families may also enjoy the site's catch-and-release fishing pond. Fishing rods are available to borrow from the park office through the Rod & Tackle Loaner Program.

The Friends of SMF is a nonprofit group dedicated to the conservation and preservation of the farm. The group has about 40 members, all of whom pay a yearly fee. Members perform a variety of tasks at SMF, including helping to provide animal care, completing trail maintenance, weeding the gardens and doing historical archiving. In addition to the ice cream social, members volunteer during SMF's annual Sheep and Wool Day, which is held on the last Saturday in April.

Springton Manor Farm is located at 860 Springton Road, Glenmoore. For more information about the Friends group, visit http://www.friendsofspringtonmanorfarm.org or http://www.facebook.com/FriendsofSMF or email FriendsofSMF@gmail.com.

More information about the ice cream social is available by visiting http://www.facebook.com/chescoparkspres and choosing Events.