For the past seven years, the Gulf Hill Ice Cream Bucket at Apponagansett Park in Padanaram has been operated by private proprietors.

For the first time this year, it will run under the direction of Dartmouth’s Parks and Recreation Department.

Since the town-owned Bucket reopened at the park in 2008, two separate outside vendors have rented it out and run it, but no one rented it this year.

“Over the past few years, the Park board has been looking to run it ourselves,” said Parks and Recreation Superintendent Tim Lancaster. “We advertised it over the winter, but we had no takers on vendors.”

Lancaster said he hopes the location, which will open Memorial Day weekend for the season, will help provide a low-cost service to the community.

“We’re able to make the price extremely affordable — we’re not looking just to make a profit, but to offer a service.”

The structure was built as an ice cream stand at Gulf Hill Dairy in 1929, where it remained until it was moved from the current YMCA property to Apponagansett Park in 2003. Community Preservation funds and rehab work done by students at Greater New Bedford Vocational Regional Technical High School allowed the facility to be reopened as an ice cream and food stand.

“It was given to (the town) by the Y,” said Lancaster. “They were looking for someone to take it off their hands and attempt to save it from being destroyed.”

Lancaster said the Bucket will continue to offer a full menu, with some new items — such as deep-fried apple pie — to be added to the list of ice cream from White’s Dairy of Acushnet, burgers, fries, fried food and more.

The Bucket will operate from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. over Memorial Day weekend, and for the last week in May, it will be open from 4 to 8 p.m. From June through the rest of the season, it will be open seven days a week from 11 to 8.

“I think it will be beneficial to the community to have the Bucket operate as we plan,” said Lancaster, noting that it will be open throughout the Wednesday night summer concerts at the park.

It will also be available to children attending Dartmouth Summer Recreational programs at the park.

“We’re be able to offer very affordable lunches to kids through our own operation,” said Lancaster.

Arthur Domingos will be the manager of the location, and Lancaster said a host of college students will be employed there.

“The hope is that we can provide the service, at least break even, and hopefully generate enough revenue to keep up with service of the building,” added Lancaster.