The Bartz brothers of New Brighton unveiled their largest snow sculpture ever on Saturday, a creation named “Sparky” that was inspired by the famous sea lion at the Como Park Zoo in St. Paul.
Austin, left, and Conner Bartz unveil their latest snow sculpture, “Sparky,” named after the famous Como Zoo seal, in New Brighton on Saturday, Jan. 20, 2024. The 21-foot-tall and 48-foot-long sculpture took over 1,200 hours to create and comes complete with a smoke machine in the seal’s mouth. The unveiling was part of New Brighton’s Brave the BRRR celebration at Brightwood Hills Golf Course. The winter celebration features a Brrrzaar Weekend Market, amateur snow sculpture contest, food trucks and, of course, Austin and Conner Bartz’s latest creation. It runs through Feb. 4. For more information, go to https://www.newbrightonmn.gov/640/Brave-the-BRRR. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)
After years of making their snow creations in their parents’ front yard, Sparky is on display at Brightwood Hills Golf Course in New Brighton as part of the city’s “Brave the BRRR” winter celebration, which runs through Feb. 4.
The snow seal, constructed by Austin and Connor Bartz with help from their father, Dave Bartz, and friends Caleb Kroeze and Seth Hanson, is 21 feet tall, 48 feet long and took 1,200 hours to build. A hidden smoke machine makes it appear that Sparky has steam coming out of its mouth.
A third brother, Trevor Bartz, assists with design ideas but is no longer hands-on with the sculpture building because he lives outside of the metro area.
The Bartz sculptures, which started with a puffer fish in 2012, were inspired by a trip to Florida. All of them, which have included a whale, walrus, shark, turtle, octopus, fish and lobster, have been creatures of the sea.
People walk down a path decorated with photos of the Bartz Brothers’ previous snow sculptures in New Brighton on Saturday, Jan. 20, 2024. New Brighton’s Brave the BRRR celebration kicked off on Saturday with the unveiling of the Bartz Brothers snow sculpture “Sparky” at Brightwood Hills Golf Course. The winter celebration will feature a Brrrzaar Weekend Market, amateur snow sculpture contest, food trucks and, of course, Austin and Conner Bartz’s latest creation. It runs through Feb. 4. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)
On the Bartz Snow Sculptures Facebook page, the brothers said this year they are raising money for clean water in Africa through World Vision.
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