Free desserts, cookies, doughnuts part of leap day festivities

If you were born on a leap day you’re special indeed: The odds of coming into the world on Feb. 29, which only comes around every four years, are estimated at 1 in 1,461. Leap day babies are rare, and some local restaurants are recognizing that by offering specials on Saturday.

■ Olive Garden, which has seven in Southern Nevada locations, will give four free Dolcinis (desserts layered with cake, mousse, pastry cream and berries) to anyone with a Feb. 29 birthday. But the chain also is offering its Take Home entrees — fettucine Alfredo, five-cheese ziti al forno or spaghetti with meat sauce — to anyone for $2.29, dine-in entree purchase required.

■ Farmers Boys has eight outlets in the valley, and they’re rewarding leap day babies with a free Big Cheese cheeseburger. If you qualify, just stop by and show your ID.

■ Insomnia Cookies doesn’t discriminate, so they’ll give a free cookie to anyone who buys a cookie cake, Cookiewich, six-pack, Sugar Rush (a dozen), Major Rager (18) or Insomniac (24) on Saturday. And they’ll even combine this offer with their Mardi Gras deal, which means if you get a Sugar Rush on Saturday, you’ll get a free cookie and $3 off the regular price of $20. The Sugar Rush special continues through 3 a.m. Monday. Insomnia Cookies is at 4480 Paradise Road and earns its name by staying open, and delivering to a limited area, until 3 a.m. Visit insomniacookies.com or call 702-623-5508.

■ Eataly at Park MGM also is an equal-opportunity celebrant. From noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, it’ll host a Leap Day Party with oyster-shucking demos on the half-hour starting at 12:30 p.m., complimentary beverage tastings throughout Cucina del Mercato near the bars, $12 cocktail specials at all three bars and $20 food and beverage bundles (including carne cruda, assorted salumi and formaggi and cacio e pepe), $15 for a caviar bump (on your hand) and a shot of Ketel One Vodka and $10 oyster shooters at various stations on the upper level.

■ Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, which has chosen leap day to launch its nationwide delivery service, will send free doughnuts via “special delivery” to hospitals, medical professionals and parents of leap day babies within 10 miles of participating shops. If you’re a medical professional or the parent of a leap day baby, post to Instagram or Twitter @KrispyKreme with the hashtag #KrispyKremeSpecialDelivery; the company will reach out and offer to deliver five dozen Original Glazed doughnuts free, while supplies last.

Contact Heidi Knapp Rinella at hrinella@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0474. Follow @HKRinella on Twitter.