Meet Parker the snowman: The frosty 20-foot giant delighting one small town

Massachusetts couple changes the snowman’s light batteries every other week to keep him glowing for fans - especially their one-year-old daughter LifestyleMeet Parker the snowman: The frosty 20ft giant delighting one small townMassachusetts couple changes the snowman’s light batteries every other week to keep him glowing for fans - especially their one-year-old daughterErin Keller In Ohio Thursday 19 February 2026 14:54 ESTBookmarkCommentsGo to commentsBookmark popoverRemoved from bookmarksClose popoveropen image in galleryParker the snowman, standing 20 feet tall and 21 feet wide, stops traffic outside the Aalerud’s home in Shirley, Massachusetts (NBC Boston)Your support helps us to tell the storyRead moreSupport NowFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read moreMassachusetts has a new icon and while he may be frosty in nature, he’s melting hearts all over the state. Meet Parker, a towering 20-foot snowman in the town of Shirley, built by “snowman artist” Eric Aalerud after January’s massive snowstorm. Parker, named after the road where he stands in the front yard of the Aalerud family home, has become a local landmark, with traffic backing up as visitors stop to snap photos with him. And he’s one impressive sight - stretching 21 feet wide with eyes made from battery-powered LED lights in circles, a trash barrel-plywood hat, and tree-branch arms strung with lights.“I feel like this time of year, there’s not a lot going on. It’s dark early, it’s gray, so it’s something fun for people to see, stop at, take a picture,” Katie Aalerud, Eric’s wife, told NBC Boston.open image in galleryParker the snowman, standing 20 feet tall and 21 feet wide, stops traffic outside the Aalerud’s home in Shirley, Massachusetts (NBC Boston)She described her husband’s meticulous process for building the snowman. “It takes skill,” she said. “The snowblower, to start, he puts a piece of wood in there, he gets snow, all of this snow is gone because he shovels it all that way. Climbs up on a ladder in the back and uses a shovel to kind of dig out the layers, adds water to freeze everything. It’s a process.”It’s not Eric Aalerud’s first snowman creation, either. The electrician built a slightly smaller version last year with one big difference - the eye color. “It could have just been me, but I think the red looked creepy, so he made the switch to blue. It’s more natural. I think it looks much better,” Katie said. Parker has become a local celebrity with dozens of pictures and posts about him online.open image in galleryParker’s light-up eyes, trash-barrel hat and lit branch arms brighten him at night (NBC Boston)“Forget the groundhog shadow. Spring will be determined by whenever Frosty here melts away,” one person wrote on Facebook. “When life gives you snow, make snowmen,” another added. The Aaleruds switch the batteries in Parker’s lights every other week, keeping the towering snowman bright for all to enjoy - especially their 1-year-old daughter.Katie hopes Parker will become an annual tradition - and joked that she is pushing for a bigger snowman next year. Last year’s snowman lasted until the end of March, and the family hopes Parker might stick around even longer.More aboutSnowmanMassachusettsviral contentJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesCommentsMost popularPopular videosBulletinRead next