Breaking News: Ashland Celebrates National Banana Split Day at Yoder’s Red Barn Ice Cream
ASHLAND, OH – August 25, 2025 — Today may be just another Monday for most folks, but here in Ashland it’s basically the Super Bowl of desserts: National Banana Split Day. And where better to celebrate than Yoder’s Red Barn Ice Cream, where Harley Yoder and his team are dishing out sundaes big enough to make your gym membership cry.
I stopped in to do my journalistic duty—aka taste-testing—and Harley didn’t disappoint. While the traditionalists will tell you a banana split comes with three scoops of hard ice cream (vanilla, chocolate, strawberry), chocolate syrup, pineapple topping, strawberry drizzle, whipped cream, and a cherry, I did what any self-respecting local reporter would do: I went rogue.
That’s right—my split came loaded the classic way, but then drenched in caramel drizzle and sprinkled with pecans because moderation is for amateurs. I may have invented the “Ashland Deluxe Split” right there on the spot.
The Bigger Scoop: Banana Split Day’s Origins
Who to thank (or blame): David Evans Strickler, a 23-year-old apprentice pharmacist in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, invented the banana split in 1904.
Cost back then: A whopping 10 cents, double the price of other sundaes. Worth it.
Legacy: Latrobe still hosts an annual festival celebrating the creation, and in 2016 the U.S. Postal Service even issued a 47-cent “Soda Fountain Favorites” stamp immortalizing the banana split.
How to Celebrate Like a Pro
Go Big or Go Home — Order the largest banana split Yoder’s can legally serve without requiring a forklift.
Double Fist It — One banana split for you, one for “sharing.” Spoiler: you won’t share.
Mix It Up — Add toppings nobody saw coming. (Looking at you, caramel-pecan split.)
Full Send — Pair it with Yoder’s pulled pork sandwich or barbecue beef. Sure, your doctor may raise an eyebrow, but your taste buds will thank you.
Final Word
So, on this National Banana Split Day, remember: calories don’t count when you’re supporting local businesses. At Yoder’s Red Barn Ice Cream, Harley Yoder is proving once again that Ashland knows how to do dessert—and maybe dinner—better than anyone.
Stay tuned as I recover from what is probably the most delicious food coma of 2025. Until then, grab a spoon, pile on the toppings, and celebrate #NationalBananaSplitDay the Ashland way.
Yoder’s Red Barn Ice Cream
428 Parkside Dr, Ashland, OH
(419) 282-6277 | yodersicecream.com
