On February 13, 1936, Indianapolis was transformed into a winter wonderland that would be remembered for decades to come. The city was blanketed by an unexpected snowstorm, dropping over a foot of snow overnight. This wasn’t just any snowstorm; it set the stage for what would become known as the Great Snowball Battle of Indianapolis.
As schools and businesses closed due to the weather, residents found themselves with an unexpected snow day. The downtown area, usually bustling with cars and streetcars, was eerily quiet. However, Monument Circle started to fill with people of all ages, armed with mittens and laughter. Word spread quickly through the neighborhoods, and soon hundreds gathered for a spontaneous snowball fight.
The battle began as a friendly skirmish between two groups of college students, but it quickly escalated as more people joined in. Families, friends, and even a few city workers on break from shoveling sidewalks took part. Snow forts were constructed with great haste, and teams formed among neighbors who normally only exchanged polite nods. The air was filled with shouts of excitement and the soft thud of snowballs finding their marks.
Photographs from the day show grinning faces, rosy from the cold, and streets filled with people in coats of every color. One particularly memorable image captured a group of children, barely taller than the snowbanks, launching a coordinated attack on a nearby group of adults. The spirit of camaraderie and joy was infectious, even drawing the attention of local newspapers, which hailed it as the “blizzard battle that melted the city’s heart.”
By the afternoon, the snowball fight had wound down as the participants retreated to the warmth of nearby cafes and homes, sharing hot cocoa and recounting their snowy adventures. The Great Snowball Battle of 1936 became a cherished memory for those who experienced it—a day when the community came together in the most playful of ways, united by the magic of a winter storm.