Two Rivers, in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin has a unique wintery celebration that goes down in July and its origins dates back to 1936.
Back in 1936 the entire nation was in the midst of a record breaking heat wave while the town of Two Rivers was building a new municipal park. Construction workers were digging in a pile of dirt when discovered a huge pile of snow that had somehow survived the summer heat. The Associated Press caught wind of the discovery and it made nation wide news which led to Two Rivers to earn the nickname “Coolest Spot in Wisconsin.” The following year town leaders decided to promote the historic event and in July of 1937 the first Two Rivers SnowFest was celebrated.
Snowfest was celebrated for decades until it sadly went away in the 1990s. After a 21 year hiatus Snofest returned in 2018 and has been going strong ever since. If you’re looking for a heavy dose of winter-centric Americana in the middle of the summer head to Two Rivers and participate in the town snowball fight, eat cheese curds and sit on the curb to watch the annual parade go by. Snowfest kicks off Friday July 26th and runs through Sunday July 28th. Be there or be square.
See the sights and sounds from SnowFest in the 1960’s including the Snow Queens and White Cap Beer: