On Friday, December 20, Piedmont Community Church hosted a second annual Snow Day – transforming parking lot and Courtyard into a winter wonderland. It’s estimated nearly 1,000 people from Piedmont and surrounding communities participated in the event which featured 23 tons of snow, bounce houses, face painting and treats. Photos by Michael Barber

An employee with San Jose Ice Company waits for bags of ice to be transformed into snow before blasting a sledding hill made of hay in the church parking lot. It took about 2 hours to deliver 23 tons of snow.
Multiple trucks hauling bags of ice are used to deliver snow to the sledding hill and the children’s play area in the church Courtyard.
Ice is unloaded from trucks, then ground up before making its way through a long tube where it is blasted onto surfaces.
Senior Pastor Steve Schibsted shovels large quantities of snow into wheelbarrows to be shuttled into the church Courtyard where it covers a children’s play area.
Associate Pastor Don Ashburn (left) and Property Manager Jay Foreman share a laugh while installing an electric cable ahead of the event.
Church President Paul Schroeder kicks snow after dumping a wheelbarrow full into the Courtyard.
Kerry Persichitte, Director of NextGen and Community Engagement, who brought Snow Day to Piedmont in 2023, continues the tradition.
Jay Foreman takes a turn on the sledding hill ahead of the official opening of the event.
Corubella Gonzales, 8, enjoys being first in line to have her face painted.
Jeff Hiller gives a pint-sized sledder a needed push.
Suzie Skugstad brings enthusiasm, along with a can of Reddi-Wip for hot cocoa, to her role as Mrs. Claus.
Anna Benson, 12, and her mom Kate, serve hot cocoa to Snow Day attendees.
Children dressed in winter wear and shorts wait for their turn on the sledding hill.
Carolyn Chun and her granddaughter, Mia, 2, laugh after taking a tumble at the end of the sledding hill.
Leon Coffey Midili, 10, ducks after throwing snowballs from the Courtyard wall onto people below as friend Austin Gray, 10, looks for their next mark.
Henry Jobst, 11, and Ember McCall, 11, secure a pile of snowballs far from the snow site in order to properly stock a boys vs girls snowball fight.
Nighttime falls upon the church Courtyard as the second annual Snow Day event winds down.