The Way Back: Hay Day

By Ben Wright in Nov | Dec 2019, TXEX on November 1, 2019 at 8:00 am | No Comments

The holidays in Austin are hardly chilly. In fact, between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, you’re more likely to get a tan than you are to catch a snowflake on your tongue. Santa, carols, and office parties may all be on the agenda, but snow is almost certainly out of the question. So in 1990, members of the Sigma Phi Epilson fraternity got creative, creating their own winter wonderland for their annual Christmas shindig. Members purchased reams of paper confetti and then liberally sprinkled it around the outside of the building. The result was a snowstorm in central Texas.

Actually, it blizzarded so much, half of the “snow” ended up inside the frat house. Inside or out, it was good for rolling, wrestling, dancing, frolicking, garnishing drinks, stuffing into fellow members’ clothing, and a number of other frivolous pursuits. And of course, it has two great advantages over the real deal: it didn’t melt and it wasn’t cold. Call it a Christmas miracle.

Photos courtesy the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.