National Pretzel Day: How to get deals, freebies at Auntie Anne's, Wetzel's Pretzels
If life is like a pretzel – full of twists and turns – April 26 marks a special day on the calendar: National Pretzel Day.
Pretzels predate many other favorite snacks such as potato chips and crackers, each of which cropped up before the Civil War. But pretzels date back to before the Crusades, serving as a Catholic Church-approved Lenten food in the 7th century, according to History.com.
As German immigrants came to the U.S., pretzels became a staple here in the early 1700s. More recently, Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell declared April 26 as “National Pretzel Day” in 2003 to recognize the pretzel's historic importance, note the National Day Calendar site. One of the first known commercial pretzel bakeries was founded in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania in 1861, according to History.com.
Pennsylvania's importance to pretzels has knot lessened. About 20 miles from the site of the original Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery in Pennsylvania, Uncle Jerry's Pretzels, founded in 1989, produces handmade small-batch sourdough pretzels "using all-natural ingredients – just flour, water, yeast, and salt – resulting in a hearty, wholesome snack," said Misty Skolnick, who co-owns the business with her father, Jerry, in an email statement.
"Our pretzels don’t contain any added sugars, oils, or preservatives," she said. "Baked to perfection and lightly coated with salt, our pretzels offer a deliciously crisp texture that has kept customers coming back for decades."
Uncle Jerry's Pretzels has a National Pretzel Day deal for April 26: Get 20% off on the company website using the coupon code USATODAY (deal cannot be combined with any other offer).
More National Pretzel Day freebies, deals and specials
Auntie Anne's free pretzel on National Pretzel Day
Pretzel chain Auntie Anne's, founded in 1988, is giving out free Original or Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels in stores on April 26 for National Pretzel Day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. local time. Get the offer in the Auntie Anne's Rewards App. Limit one per person; not valid with any other offer, reward or third-party delivery.
Ben's Soft Pretzels' free pretzel deal
Go into one of the more than 150 Ben's Soft Pretzels locations on April 26 and make a donation to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation and you will get a free Original Jumbo Pretzel. All proceeds made on National Pretzel Day will be donated to the organization, founded after Sept. 11, 2001, to help Gold Star and first responder families.
Stellar Snacks' 20% off deal for National Pretzel Day
Pretzels are also a family affair at Stellar Snacks in Carson City, Nevada, founded by mother and daughter team of Elisabeth and Gina Galvin, who were recently named to the Inc. Female Founders 500 list of top entrepreneurs. The company's products can be found in stores such as Sprouts and The Fresh Market – and on Southwest Airlines – but Stellar Snacks also ships direct to consumers and can be found on Amazon.com.
Stellar Snacks opened a new plant in Louisville, Kentucky in late 2024 and just launched a new gluten-free line of snacks including Sea Salt Pretzel Thins. “At Stellar, pretzel-making is an art form – thoughtful, imaginative, and uncompromising," Gina Galvin said in a statement. "We bake each pretzel from scratch in our own bakery so every bite is crunchy and seasoned to perfection. These are the most state-of-the-art pretzels you’ll ever taste (truly)."
For National Pretzel Day, you can get 20% off on stellarsnacks.com on April 26 with code PRETZELDAY20.
Pretzelmaker
Pretzelmaker has a National Pretzel Day in-store freebie for customers on April 26: a free small order of Original Pretzel Bites, Salted or Unsalted, at participating locations across the U.S. Also, if you sign up for Pretzelmaker's Rewards app by 11:59 p.m. on April 26, you can get $5 off your order of $20 more starting April 27. The offer is good for 14 days and can be redeemed in-store or online.
Philly Pretzel Factory
The Philly-style pretzel franchise, with more than 150 locations, is giving away one free pretzel to every customer on April 26, no purchase necessary. Stores will also be handing out limited-edition “I Got My Pretzel” stickers.
It's the company's 18th consecutive year celebrating National Pretzel Day with a giveaway. Also, members of the Pretzel Rewards loyalty program earn double points on any purchase on April 26. To join, download the Philly Pretzel Factory app; new members get an offer for five free pretzels just for signing up.
Wetzel's Pretzels
For National Pretzel Day, which Wetzel's Pretzels calls "National Wetzel Day," on April 26 the California-headquartered chain is giving away one free Original Pretzel per person in stores from 3 p.m. to closing time (no purchase necessary).
The Greene Turtle
The sports bar chain is offering half off its Bavarian pretzel sticks with the purchase of a meal or handheld menu item on April 26 (offer redeemable for dine-in only).
Mike Snider is a reporter on Paste BN’s Trending team. You can follow him on Threads, Bluesky, X and email him at mikegsnider & @mikegsnider.bsky.social & @mikesnider & msnider@usatoday.com