CHARLOTTE, N.C. (March 28, 2024) — For many Americans, Christmas is the biggest day of the year. For others, it’s the 4th of July or Halloween. For accountants, it’s Tax Day and for teachers, it’s the start of Summer vacation.
But for the tens of thousands of fresh fruit farmers, marketers, shippers and specialists at Dole Food Company, the brand behind the world’s best-selling DOLE® Banana, National Banana Day on April 17 is the biggest annual cause for celebration.
And in 2024, Dole’s 125th year in the banana business, the company will celebrate the holiday like never before with 10 days of contests, charity engagements, city proclamations, social media activations, Bobby Banana appearances, employee events and free digital downloads and other giveaways spread across 13 Dole offices from coast to coast across the U.S.
The landing page for the Dole 125th Banana-versary (www.dole.com/en/125) is the central destination for all 2024 National Banana Day activities April 11-20. The page is being continually updated with all event and activity details as well as the many downloadable resources created by Dole for the celebration.
“If bananas along with pineapples are the heart and soul of Dole, then National Banana Day is Dole’s biggest chance to celebrate our mission and legacy and honor everyone who continues to make the Musa genus the most popular fruit in the world,” said William Goldfield, director of corporate communications for Dole. “And since this year’s holiday is part of the Dole 125th Banana-versary, we want to make it a banana-lovers’ party for the ages.”
Dole’s National Banana Day festivities include both local and national activities April 11-20, 2024, in 13 Dole corporate, port and regional cities across the U.S.:
- “Make a Child Smile” Volunteer Events in 5 Dole Cities (April 17, 2024): Dole employees in Charlotte and Dole healthy-living mascot Bobby Banana will visit with patients at Novant Health Hemby Children’s Hospital in central Charlotte, while employees in Westlake Village, Calif.; Lenexa, Kan.; Wahiawa, Hawaii; and San Diego will visit local hospitals or children’s community organizations in their neighborhoods.
- “Hugo’s PE Power-Up Presented by Dole” (April 17, 2024): Dole employees in Charlotte and Bobby Banana will team-up with the Charlotte Hornets at Charlotte’s Winterfield Elementary School to host a Hornets Hoops morning basketball clinic, a special appearance by Hugo the Hornet and fun lessons in healthy living and nutrition taught by Melanie Marcus, MA, RD, Dole’s manager of nutrition and wellness communications.
- Local Charlotte Proclamations (April 17, 2024): Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles will officially proclaim April 17 as “Charlotte Banana Day” in honor of National Banana Day and Dole’s 125th Banana-versary. That evening, as the ultimate, 48-story tribute to the iconic fruit, the Wells Fargo Building at 550 South Tryon in Charlotte will be illuminated banana-yellow as part of the Wells Fargo Charlotte Lights program.
- Free DOLE® Bananas on National Banana Day (April 17, 2024): Dole will distribute free DOLE® Bananas on April 17, National Banana Day, from a yet-to-be-announced location in uptown Charlotte, while supplies last.
- National Social Media Contest and Celebration (April 11-20, 2024): Dole will post daily banana stories featuring vintage Dole bananas and banana ads; free, download-and-print banana activity books and “Banana Love Notes”; kid-friendly lessons on banana varieties, nutrition and recipes; and a contest that will reward 10 winning banana lovers with a year of free DOLE® Bananas.
- National Release of the Dole Ultimate Banana Cookbook (April 18, 2024): Starting April 18, Dole will share a new digital recipe book for free public download in honor of National Banana Day and its 125th Banana-versary. The Dole Ultimate Banana Cookbook features 30 breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, snack, smoothie and beverage/mocktail recipes made with DOLE® Bananas. In addition to the customary list of ingredients and recipe steps, each dish includes a cooking or preparation tip from Melanie Marcus.
- Banana Spirit Week Celebrations in 13 Dole Cities (April 15-19, 2024): Dole’s U.S. corporate office in Charlotte, and port and regional offices in Westlake Village, Calif.; Lenexa, Kan.; Wahiawa, Hawaii; San Diego; Wilmington, Del.; Freeport, Texas; Gulfport, Miss.; Crum Lynne, Pa.; Parsippany, N.J.; Tampa, Fla.; Jacksonville, Fla.; and La Mirada, Calif., will celebrate with daily banana-themed activities.
April 17 also marks the in-store launch of the first of three sets of commemorative Dole 125th Banana-versary stickers – featuring art saluting the people, the journey, the flavors, the earth and the heritage of Dole – on millions of DOLE® Bananas across the U.S. and Canada. The company is working with retailers throughout North America to bring National Banana Day and the Dole 125th Banana-versary to shoppers through dedicated displays, point-of-purchase materials and other in-store activations.
For continually updated information on the Dole 125th Banana-versary, including National Banana Day activities, go to dole.com/125. Use hashtags #DoleBananaVersary, #DoleBananas125, #BananasForTheFuture, #BananaVersary and #Fresh4Future to join in on the conversation.
About Dole plc
Dole plc, is one of the world’s largest producers and marketers of high-quality fresh fruit and fresh vegetables. Dole is an industry leader in many of the products it sells, as well as in nutrition education. For more information, please visit www.dole.com.
