After a fresh snowfall, you are bound to see children in their yard building a traditional snowman but Minocqua lays claim to a snowman that puts Frosty to shame.
With a height of 30 feet and a waist of 16 feet, it’s hard to miss Snowmy Kromer! This larger-than-life figure has become a regular roadside fixture along Highway 51 as you pass the Let's Minocqua Welcome Center and approach the bridge entering Minocqua each winter.
Snowmy Kromer was named for the Stormy Kromer cap that adorns his head. While Stormy Kromer’s are a popular hat that you will find many people wearing out and about on chilly Minocqua winter days, Snowmy’s hat is only one of two hats ever made. His special size 96 Stormy Kromer cap was custom designed by Stormy Kromer Mercantile CEO Bob Jacquart.
The origins of Minocqua’s famous snowman can be traced as far back as the 1960’s when area residents started building a giant snowman by hand every year in downtown. After many years in hibernation, Snowmy reemerged in 2015 in front of the Minocqua Area Chamber of Commerce as a fun way to showcase the area and pay homage to the history and tradition of Minocqua’s giant snowman.
That same year, Snowmy took the world by storm. A snowstorm that is. His image went viral on social media and was shared around the world. Now he has again become a much-loved tradition that visitors come to expect as they arrive in the area to enjoy the Minocqua Area each winter.
Like any celebrity, Snowmy can be elusive. A few winters with a lack of sufficient snowfall have kept Snowmy from making his appearance but when Minocqua receives significant snow, don’t be surprised if before your eyes Snowmy Kromer comes back to life one day.
