Ice cream season is here (or almost, in some cases), and there are plenty of chances to cool off and relax at these local shops.

Some serve milkshakes and frappes. From what I’ve learned, milkshakes in New England contain milk and flavoring syrup that are shaken until foamy. Frappes also contain ice cream, which is blended until thick. And then there are malts, which have malted milk powder added to a milkshake that contains ice cream (which is a frappe, no?). Best to order by listing ingredients you want or choose a cone.

Brunswick

• Fielder’s Choice, 271 Bath Road, 406-4955, open noon to 8 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and noon to 8:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Thirty flavors of homemade ice cream and six flavors of soft serve are available along with frappes made with hard-serve ice cream and milkshakes made with soft serve. Yet another take on frothy, creamy drinks. Very generous servings and delicious flavors, but cash only, please.

• Dairy Frost, 107 Bath Road, 729-6720, opens May 17 for its 55th summer. Serving Gifford’s ice cream and frozen yogurt. The banana milkshakes are made with real bananas and the peanut butter soft serve is house-made.

• Gelato Fiasco, 74 Maine St., 607-4262, open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Up to 40 flavors made daily, but many sell out quickly, so best to call ahead for your favorite.

• Paul’s Marina, 36 Eastern Shore Road, 729-3067, opens May 1 and serves Gifford’s ice cream and frozen yogurt.

Topsham

• Dairy Queen, 59 Main St., 729-0233, open 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day. This is the famous DQ at which LBJ ate in 1966! They make all of the DQ favorites.

• Sunset Sundaes, Topsham Fair Mall, 725-2735, open 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day. They offer Toot’s hard serve, soft serve and steamed hot dogs.

Bath

The Fountain, 110 Front St., 389-4239, open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Gifford’s ice cream is served in cones, sundaes, milkshakes and old-fashioned floats.

Freeport

• Ben & Jerry’s, 6 Nathan Nye St., next to L.L.Bean, 865-3407, open noon to 5 p.m. every day. B&J sells cones, pints, sundaes and milkshakes.

• Mainely Custard, 150 U.S. Route 1, 865-4417, open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday through Sunday.  The owners sell unique and classic flavors of frozen custard, sundaes and shakes. Pizza is coming this summer.

• Derosier’s, 120 Main St., 865-6290, open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m.to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. They offer hard serve from Hershey’s, soft serve from Hood Creamery plus local gelatos and sorbetto gelato.

Yarmouth

• Gifford’s Ice Cream at Pat’s Pizza, 791 U.S. Route 1, 846-3701, available 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Sunday. Hard and soft serve available.

• Thoroughfare, 367 Main St., 400-5192, open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday and 7-8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. They offer milkshakes and malts made with Gifford’s ice cream.

North Yarmouth

Toots, 137 Walnut Hill Road, 232-3852, will open Memorial Day with their own ice cream and wonderful fruit sorbet.

Harpswell

Pammy’s Ice Cream Parlor, 1410 Harpswell Neck Road, 751-7870, noon to 7:30 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday, noon to 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. Both hard serve and frozen yogurt are offered. Cash only, please.

Good news from Ogunquit

The Maine Catch opens on May 3 at 262 Shore Road. This is from the same team as Bob’s Clam Hut, Robert’s Maine Grill and Mabel’s Lobster Claw in Kittery. The menu is full of fresh seafood, a raw bar, steaks and pastas and can be found at themainecatchme.com. While it is a bit far from the southern Midcoast, it looks to be enticing when you are in the area for shopping or theater.

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