As he thought about what to bring to Meridian Hill Park in D.C. on Monday, Lewis Wilkins made sure to put a Frisbee on his list.
Originally, he thought it would provide him with an activity while others around him played in D.C.’s first major snow of the season. But then, as he approached the park, he had another idea.
Wilkins realized it wasn’t just a Frisbee, but “a fantastic snowball carrier, so you can accumulate an arsenal, so that when you need a bunch of snowballs, you can unload them all at the same time, rapid fire,” he said.
And that’s exactly how he used it.
Wilkins was among the hundreds of people who stopped by the Northwest park Monday afternoon, attending what was branded “The Great Meridian Chill Battle of 2025.”
The event, which the Washington DC Snowball Fight Association organized, brought the community together on a day local schools and government offices closed because of the winter weather.
“Once or twice a year, it’s a great time to show up,” Wilkins said. “Throw some snowball fights, have some fun with your neighbors.”
In the center of the park, dozens formed a large line, lobbing large snowballs across the way after someone either blew a whistle or counted down. Some participants brought sleds to shield them, while others watched from the sidelines of the chaos.
After a few rounds of back-and-forth, the group migrated toward a different section of the park.
“It’s a wonderful way to end winter break, and it’s great for mental health,” said Rob, a teacher in Virginia. “We gotta let kids be kids.”
Tyler, meanwhile, said the participants were “playing fair, which is nice. They’re playing kind, but also playing hard.”
Away from the games, other attendees watched on and spent time building snowmen or letting their dogs roll around in the snow.
The free event is now in its 15th year.
“A lot of people are kids at heart, and we don’t get to be kids that often,” Ciara said, “especially in a city like D.C., where, you know, everyone’s focused on work all the time. It’s good to not be doing that.”
Ekaterina, meanwhile, said, “We’re bringing D.C. together. Everyone’s smiling. It’s just the best time ever.”
In the D.C. suburbs, many people off from school or work found nearby hills to take a ride on their sleds.
For 10-year-old Jeremy Shu, the snow day meant pulling the sled from the garage and finding the best hill to ride for the day, which turned out to be a hill near the Hallie Wells Middle School.
This particular hill, according to Shu, offers the perfect condition for gaining optimum speed and the chance to go airborne.
“When it snows a lot, there’s always people that come here to go sledding, and I’m one of them,” Shu said.
Shu said finding a tall spot that is clear of obstacles would be his advice for others interested in sledding the day away.
For his 9-year-old friend Jabeth Kim, he said there is one objective.
“As long as you don’t die, you’re fine,” Kim said.
The two demonstrated their technique, as their parents watched nervously. Once done with the run, Kim, whose hat was covered with snow, had one sentence to wrap up the experience.
“It’s just cold, so it hurts a lot. It hurts a lot,” he chuckled.
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