Today at the Dairy Dip, soft ice cream prices are straight out of the 1960s

A lot has changed since 1960, when John Ross opened a small ice cream parlour and pizza joint on the main drag in Grand Bend, the popular southwestern Ontario beach town.

Gas sold for 25 cents a litre in those days, and John Diefenbaker was Canada's prime minister.

But what hasn't changed is people flocking to Lake Huron towns such as Grand Bend to lounge on the beach, enjoy the relief of the cold water, and catch a bite to eat on Main Street.

"Sometimes I ask people how far they've come from, and the answer I'm hearing is three, four hours away, just for a day visit. It's really stunning that people come all that way to Grand Bend," said Kendra Pearson, one of the current owners of the Dairy Dip and Pizza Place, which is celebrating its 65th anniversary this Saturday.

Pearson's wife is the granddaughter of the original owners, Hungarian immigrants who opened the Dairy Dip and prospered. The Dairy Dip is the oldest main street business in Grand Bend.

"I find that customers are really interested in the nostalgia piece. We've really worked on making sure that we're maintaining the integrity of our 1960s signs and building, and making sure that the customers are aware of the history we have and that Grand Bend has as well."

This Saturday, the Dairy Dip is welcoming back former employees and celebrating the milestone anniversary with 65 cent soft ice cream cones, Pearson said.

Pearson and her wife, Tanya, co-own the business with Tanya's brother Nathan Ross and his spouse Renee Chauvin. They're excited to welcome back employees who used to work at the restaurant, which has always employed local young people, Pearson said.

"This year, we have one employee whose grandmother worked here when she was young," Pearson said. "We have generations of families that work with us, and we've maintained close friendships with many of them. It's fascinating to see the connections that we have and we hope to see a lot of former staff on Saturday."

The anniversary celebrations kick off at 1 p.m. and last until 3 p.m.