Carvel’s flying saucer lands in coney island

A nostalgic ice cream promotion brings oversized “UFOs” and discounted treats to East Coast locations.

Brooklyn, NY – A Carvel shop in Coney Island became the site of a themed “UFO crash landing” this week as the company launched a nationwide promotion celebrating the 75th anniversary of its Flying Saucer ice cream sandwich.

The activation featured oversized inflatable Flying Saucers placed outside select locations, including Coney Island, Massapequa, New York, and West Palm Beach, Florida. The campaign coincides with a one-day promotion offering the dessert for 75 cents on Friday, marking the start of spring and the traditional kickoff of ice cream season.

Promotion marks 75 years of iconic dessert

Photo: carvel’s flying saucer lands in coney island

Carvel introduced the Flying Saucer in 1951 during a period of widespread interest in unidentified flying objects. The dessert, made with soft serve ice cream sandwiched between chocolate wafers, became one of the brand’s signature items.

“For 75 years, the Flying Saucer has brought generations of fans together over something joyful and delicious,” said Marissa Sharpless, Vice President of Marketing. “From Tom Carvel’s first roadside stand in 1934 to the creation of the Flying Saucer during the 1950s UFO craze, our brand has always embraced a spirit of imagination and fun. This crash landing is our way of celebrating that legacy and the joy of play that has always been at the heart of Carvel.”

Key Points

Carvel launched a 75th anniversary promotion for its Flying Saucer dessert
“UFO crash landing” displays appeared in Coney Island, Massapequa, and West Palm Beach
Flying Saucers were sold for 75 cents for one day to mark the milestone

Historic locations chosen for campaign

The selected locations reflect longstanding ties to the brand. The Coney Island shop has remained in the same family for four generations, while the Massapequa location dates back to 1954 near Carvel’s Long Island origins. The West Palm Beach shop was used by founder Tom Carvel to test products and has operated under the same family ownership since the 1970s.

In addition to discounted treats, the three featured locations offered limited giveaways, including commemorative T-shirts for the first 50 visitors and themed stickers while supplies lasted.

The promotion continues through the weekend with discounted multi-packs for loyalty members and ongoing weekday deals, as Carvel uses the anniversary campaign to drive early-season traffic to its stores.

Phil Stilton Latest posts

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

Readers can submit story tips, corrections, public records, or media inquiries through the official Shore News Network website or its verified social media channels. Shore News Network welcomes corrections and updates when new information becomes available as part of its ongoing commitment to accurate and transparent journalism.