Dole Hosts a Feel-Good Pineapple Party in June 2026 in its Hometown of Charlotte and Across the U.S.; William Goldfield Comments

CHARLOTTE, NC - In addition to signaling the traditional start of summer and honoring Dads, grads, brides, and grooms, June 2026 is being christened as the Month of Pineapples by the brand most associated with the fruit: Dole.

Dole Food Company is announcing more than a month of free activities in its hometown of Charlotte and nationwide, leading up to International Pineapple Day on June 27, as part of the produce leader’s 125th Pineapple Crowning Anniversary, marking its first 125 years in the pineapple business.

Dole’s Quasquicentennial celebration, continuing through summer 2026, honors the foresight of a 24-year-old James Drummond Dole, who planted his first pineapple plants in Wahiawa, Hawaii, in 1901 to found the Hawaiian Pineapple Company, which later became Dole.

“There’s something incredibly humbling about looking back 125 years and realizing how one man’s vision and an initial pineapple planting in Hawaii grew into a global story shared by generations of farmers, families, communities, and pineapple lovers around the world,“ said William Goldfield, director of corporate communications for Dole, in the recent release. “This year’s Pineapple Day feels especially meaningful in that context, and we’re so excited to spend the summer honoring that history by celebrating the sweetness, hospitality, and spirit of aloha that the pineapple represents.”

“In gratitude, we give back to the pineapple lovers in our hometown of Charlotte, across the U.S., and around the world who helped make James Dole’s dream possible.”

In honor of the holiday and Dole’s Uptown Charlotte U.S. headquarters, Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles has officially proclaimed June 27, 2026, as Charlotte Pineapple Day.

For June 2026, pineapple fans across the U.S. are encouraged to take advantage of the following new and no-cost offerings:

• The Ultimate Dole Pineapple Cookbook: Free Limited-Time Digital Download. Melanie Marcus, MA, RD, Dole’s nutrition, wellness, and communications manager, has assembled 21 of the company’s most interesting and requested breakfast, lunch, and dinner dishes, drinks, and desserts to create the ultimate pineapple-lovers cookbook available for free public download. Highlights range from the Banana Pineapple Coconut Smoothie to the Smoked Salmon & Pineapple Skewers to Dole’s Fresh Pineapple Upside-Down Cake, the fresh-ingredient remake of the iconic recipe that won the company’s 1925 recipe contest. To download the free resource, go HERE.
• Charlotte Blood Drive in Partnership with the American Red Cross. In partnership with the American Red Cross, Dole is hosting a June 25 blood drive in Charlotte in keeping with the pineapple’s association with hospitality, friendship, and compassion. The produce leader will offer a fresh DOLE® Tropical Gold Pineapple to every blood donor who donates blood in person at a special donation location down the street from Dole's U.S. headquarters office in Uptown Charlotte on June 25. For location information and to schedule an appointment, go HERE.
• Texas and Hawaii Blood Drives: In support of its port and office cities in Texas and Hawaii, Dole is sponsoring blood drives in Lake Jackson, Texas, on June 23, in partnership with the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center; and in Honolulu on June 26, in partnership with Blood Bank of Hawaii. For location information and to schedule an appointment, go HERE for Lake Jackson or HERE for multiple locations in Honolulu.
• Nationwide Blood Drive in Partnership with the American Red Cross. For those outside Charlotte, Lake Jackson, and Honolulu, Dole and the American Red Cross have organized a 10-day national blood drive from June 19 to 28 in honor of International Pineapple Day. For donation locations, dates, and times, and to schedule an appointment, go HERE. Please note the free DOLE® pineapple offer applies only to those donating blood in person in Charlotte on June 25.
• Crown to Core 2026 Social Media Showcase. Throughout the month, Dole’s digital channels will share fun, actionable pineapple tips, tricks, trivia, serving suggestions, and other interactive engagements with Dole’s approximately 2 million followers on Facebook and Instagram.
• Dole Positively Rocks Charlotte: Sweet Surprise Pineapple Hunt. As the ultimate grass-roots celebration, Dole team members will hide 125 river rocks hand-painted with pineapple-themed messages of positivity and inspiration in and around Uptown Charlotte as a reminder that even a simple discovery at any moment can brighten someone’s day. Locals around the city are encouraged to seek these rocks or serendipitously find them, hold them as a reminder, or replace them to brighten someone else’s day. Additionally, Dole has recruited a host of neighboring Uptown Charlotte businesses—coffee shops, cafes, bakeries, and delis. markets and stores—to join in on the fun, interactive treasure hunt. during designated weeks June 7-July 31, 2026. Each week, one “golden” rock will be hidden amongst the others. If found, a prize can be claimed using the QR code.

Sweet Surprise Pineapple Hunt Spotlight Partners Schedule:

• June 7-13: Amelie’s French Bakery Café (Uptown Charlotte café)
• June 14-20: Johnny Burrito
• June 21-27: All businesses will participate during Pineapple Week, leading up to International Pineapple Day on June 27.
• June 28-July 4: Rhino Market & Deli (Uptown Charlotte market)
• July 5-11: Coco and the Director
• July 12-18: Devon & Blakely (Uptown Charlotte café)
• July 19-25: Paper Skyscraper (Uptown Charlotte store)
• July 26-Aug. 1: Geno D’s Pizza

To commemorate the milestone anniversary, a Dole 125th Pineapple Crowning Anniversary landing page launched last month with 10 new and reimagined classic pineapple recipes, serving suggestions, Dole pineapple history and trivia, and a host of free digital downloads, including DOLE®-branded Pineapple Gift Tags, phone wallpaper, a Royal Tea Party Menu, and DIY Chef’s Hat and Royal Certificate.

In honor of its Hawaiian roots, the company rolled out 125th Pineapple Crowning Anniversary tags on millions of DOLE® Royal Hawaiian® Pineapples across the Islands and is working with retailers throughout North America to bring the celebration to shoppers through in-store signage, point-of-purchase displays, and other activations.

Dole’s pineapple festivities come just months after the launch of the award-winning* DOLE® Colada RoyaleÔ, a groundbreaking pineapple variety naturally bred at Dole’s oldest pineapple farm in Honduras, with a unique flavor profile offering notes of coconut in every bite.

Check www.dole.com/125 for continually updated information on Dole 125th Pineapple Crowning Anniversary activities in Charlotte and nationally. Use hashtags #DolePineapples, #DolePineapples125, and #PineapplesForTheFuture to join in on the conversation.