Snow Snake Games

media release: The Friends of San Damiano (FOSD) is excited to announce they are hosting the 2022 Snow Snake Games on Friday, February 25, 2022 from 3pm - dusk at the San Damiano property located at 4123 Monona Drive, Monona.

Snow Snake is a traditional winter game played by Great Lakes Region Tribes on the frozen lakes in long grooves made in packed snow berms. The snow snake was a hardwood stick with varying lengths and widths and a slightly bulbous end that resembled the head of a snake, eyes traced on it, and a crosscut to mark the mouth. The entire stick was carefully smoothed. Holding your snake lightly, you took a short run, then bent and flipped the snake so it would race along the top of the ice/snow. The snake that traveled the farthest won. "Although this sounds very simple in concept, it was very competitive amongst the people and it was used to pass the time during the doldrums of winter. It also kept our spear chucking arm strong during the cold season" said Bill Quackenbush, Tribal Historic Preservation Officer for the Ho-Chunk Nation.

This is an all ages event open to the public and prizes will be awarded to competitors from all age groups. There will be bonfires, storytelling, hot cocoa, cider, and s'mores throughout the day. "We are looking forward to honoring the Snow Snake tradition here at San Damiano and look forward to having a variety of community building programs scheduled throughout the year," said Pat Howell, FOSD Board of Directors, Chair of Community Engagement.

The community is invited to learn, watch, and compete in the Snow Snake Games on Friday, February 25 from 3pm - dusk. There is no parking on the property for this event, attendees are encouraged to park at the Monona Grove High School and enjoy the free shuttle to the San Damiano property throughout the event.

San Damiano is a lush, peaceful, wooded, lakefront property to be enjoyed on any day, in any season. The Friends of San Damiano is a nonprofit group composed of friends and neighbors sharing their time and talents, on a volunteer basis, to raise the funds necessary to support the purchase of the property and transform it into a one-of-a-kind Lake Monona destination.

For more information on the San Damiano Snow Snake Games, visit sandamianomonona.org.