When Is Starbucks Free Red Cup Day 2025 in Idaho?

Is it financially responsible? No. Do I have any regrets? Also no. Since pumpkin spice season began in late August, I’ve been stopping at the Boise Ave Starbucks to grab a pumpkin chai at least three times a week. When I went to pick up my mobile order on Thursday, I noticed something was very different about the store. 

Overnight, it transformed into a festive, holiday wonderland! The “Starbucks Green” menu boards were gone. They’d been replaced by cheery Christmas red ones showcasing the drinks and treats on their holiday menu, which officially launched November 6. There were snowflake decorations on the window. I almost felt guilty for ordering a pumpkin chai instead of a peppermint mocha. “Well, there’s always tomorrow,” I thought as I walked back to my car. 

READ MORE: Idaho's Surprising Place in the History of Starbucks Holiday Cups

An hour and a half later, my phone rang. One of my co-workers wanted to know if I got my free cup. While I had spaced that November 6 was the first day of the holiday menu, I was almost certain that I hadn’t missed “Red Cup Day.” Pumpkin drinks are still eligible to earn a free reusable red cup on “Red Cup Day.” They didn’t offer me one. No one else in the early crowd at my store had one either. 

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She insisted that today was the day for free cups and was devastated that they were sold out before she got her “cute bear cup.” All of a sudden, I figured out what she was talking about. With the return of the holiday menu, also came the launch of new merch. One of the items that’s part of the line this year is the “Glass Starbucks Bearista Cold Cup.”

That cup went viral. If you look at TikTok, there are tons of influencers posting videos of them attempting to get their hands on it. One even claimed to have gone to eight locations before securing one. November 6 was the first day Starbucks offered the Bearista cup…but it certainly wasn’t free. It retails for $29.95. It’s cute, but I’m not paying $30 for a cup. 

The free reusable holiday cups are way less fancy than the Bearista, but free is in everyone's budget!  Red Cup Day is November 13. Here’s the big reveal of this year's cup design!

Read that again. You did NOT miss Red Cup Day yet. Red Cup Day is taking place on Thursday, November 13 while supplies last. In order to receive your free reusable cup, you must order a handcrafted holiday beverage. Those beverages include, but aren’t limited to: 

• Peppermint Mocha
• Caramel Brulee Latte
• Iced Sugar Cookie Latte
• Iced Sugar Cookie Breve
• Iced Gingerbread Chai