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National Popcorn Day: What cinemas are giving away freebies and free refills on Friday, Jan. 19?
Not everybody will have the day marked in their diaries, but some move goers will be tucking into a tub or two of the air-popped snacks this Friday.
Sweet or savory, buttered, caramelized, cheddar cheese-flavored, nutty yellow or plain white... January 19th can mean only one thing. Yes, National Popcorn Day. The origins of National Popcorn Day remain cloudy - a North Carolina newspaper ad for earthenware pots from 1977 cites 24th October as the official date but by the 1980s, late January was deemed the moment to get the kernels out. What we do know is that National Popcorn Day is intrinsically associated with one of the biggest sporting events of the year, which comes around at this time of year - the Super Bowl.
When did National Popcorn Day start?
Super Bowl XIII was held on 21 January 1979 and the following year’s, between the Steelers and the Rams on the 20th, so that date appears to have stuck in people’s minds. Not even the US Popcorn Board, a non-profit organization, research and promotion program funded by industry wholesalers knows why or when January 19th became National Popcorn Day. We can only assume it happened sometime in the mid-2000s, most likely as a consequence of online media - it spread and now is taken pretty much for granted.
Not everybody will have the day marked in their diaries, and a lot of people won’t be celebrating either but those that do have a few treats in store with some franchises offering freebies and promotional goodies. Among them, the AMC Theatre chain who have a number of promos lined up at most of their 900 theatres - and not just an almost unlimited supply of the air-popped snacks.
AMC are offering movie goers free refills of their freshly-made Perfectly Popcorn deals which retail at $10-$12 as well as a range of popcorn-themed merchandise including sweatshirts, socks, bucket hats, hoodies and a limited edition crossbody bag in the form of a bucket of popcorn. At $79.99, they come with a free large popcorn and unlimited refills (available 15 minutes after purchase). These can also be bought online.
In Canada, Cineplex will be giving away a free bag of popcorn to customers. Regal Crown Club members will get a free small popcorn with any ticket purchase plus one free refill for every Regal Refillable purchase. Alamo Drafthouse are offering free popcorn with every food/drink purchase (minimum $5).
Cinemark are also celebrating the event by giving away free large orders of popcorn via its social media accounts (X and Instagram) plus the chance to win a $500 giftcard; while theater goers will receive a $2 discount off medium or large popcorn orders. Those who cannot make it to the theater won’t miss out either - a free bag of popcorn will be automatically added to all SkipTheDishes and Uber Eats food orders for home delivery via both apps.
“Popcorn at the movies was first introduced 95 years ago, and it’s been an inseparable part of the movie-going experience ever since,” The Cinema Foundation’s Executive Director Bryan Braunlich explained in a statement this week. “National Popcorn Day will bring together millions of film fans of all ages to watch new movies on the big screen while enjoying their favorite theater snacks at discounted prices.”