Snowman art to return to downtown Rochester this December

ROCHESTER — The Snowman Stroll is set to return to downtown Rochester this December, once again bringing 12 fiberglass snowmen to Main Street.

Last year, Rochester hosted its first Snowman Stroll, a public art event featuring 12 5-foot fiberglass snowmen designed by local artists and sponsored by local businesses.

“We had such a positive reaction last year from the Snowman Stroll and having those pieces of artwork on Main that we are bringing 12 new snowmen to Main Street this year with the Big, Bright Light Show as the background,” said Rochester Downtown Development Authority Executive Director Kristi Trevarrow.

Artists were invited to submit designs for the snowmen, some of which were selected to re-create on the 5-foot-tall snowman figures.

“We put a call out for artists this summer. People submit designs to us, and our committee goes through them and selects the ones we feel are of the quality that we are looking for and that the artists have the ability to execute,” Trevarrow said. “The way we worked it last year was we put it out to businesses so they could pick their snowman and sponsor it. This year, we were in the process of doing that when our friends at Chief Financial approached us and said they were looking to offer some more support of our holiday events, so while we will have two snowmen this year that are sponsored by local businesses, the entire Snowman Stroll this year is sponsored by Chief Financial.”

The second annual snowman stroll will come to Main Street Dec. 1 and will be on display through Dec. 31. The snowmen will be placed along Main Street, from Second Street to University.

Trevarrow already has a few favorites.

“Personally for me, Hermie, from the movie ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,’ was super cute. We had Sam the Snowman last year, so I feel like we are just continuing the Rudolph tradition,” she said. “Another one that I think is hilarious is ‘Snow Joke.’ It’s a snowman that’s covered in dad jokes.”

Rochester DDA Events Coordinator Jenna O’Dell said there are some unique snowman designs this year.

“One of my favorites is a Mele Kalikimaka snowman, a snowman in a bikini, which is really funny to me,” she said. “There is a lot of unique artwork, and it’s definitely an additional draw to town to complement the Big, Bright Light Show.”

The Big, Bright Light Show kicks off during Lagniappe Nov. 20. The light show will continue to run nightly 5 p.m.-midnight through Jan. 2. After Jan. 2, The Big, Bright Light Show will be aglow every Friday, Saturday and Sunday in January through the weekend of Jan. 15.

The Snowman Stroll is presented by the Rochester DDA and Love Local Rochester. For more information, visit www.DowntownRochesterMI.com or call the Rochester DDA at (248) 656-0060.