Impressive Mermaid Snow Sculpture Brings Joy to Rockford

Sometimes you see something while driving and you just have to pull over. It catches your interest enough to make you throw your car in reverse and go check it out.

That's exactly what happened to Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara when he was driving around Rockford last week. He drove by an incredibly impressive snow sculpture and he just had to stop and check it out.

I drive by the corner of Church and John streets every day, and have seen a lot of action on a vacant lot. Early this...
Posted by Tom McNamara for Mayor on Friday, January 22, 2021

I mean, that's enough to make anyone pull over. The snow artist Fran Volz has been making these impressive sculptures for a while now. The mermaid sculpture is located at 1103 N. Church Street, at the intersection of John Street. Volz actually bought the property after a fire destroyed a home there in April 2020.

Have you ever wondered how these sculptures come to life? I know I have. Somebody asked Fran on Facebook and his response blew my mind -

Posted by Fran Volz on Friday, January 8, 2021

It makes so much sense! So why did Fran decide to create the snow sculpture here in Rockford? Well according to RRSTAR -

He wanted to make a snow sculpture this year after his teammates dropped out of the annual Illinois Snow Sculpting Competition to be held at Sinnissippi Park later this year.

I'm assuming the sculpture is completely weather dependent. So if you want to check it out in person, just know it could be there one day and gone the next.