Rural Missouri - December 2022 - 19

full of carrots, or the gleeful pair roasting marshmallows
over a campfire at a safe distance. Many incorporate a
winter activity such as ice fishing or skiing, and each
is a celebration of the season's best qualities: mirth,
togetherness and gratitude.
" We're not a light park. We don't have music synchronized
with the lights, " Debbie says. " We want to keep it
simple, but we want to keep it exciting, so I add to it every
year. "
Each snowman begins with a 4-by-8-foot sheet of PVC
board, cut to size and decorated from a supply of costumes
that would make a community theater program envious.
With a little help from Jerry, the snowmen, women and
children mount zip lines made from Christmas lights,
round up the snow mustangs at the Dry Creek Corral and
enjoy a night at the races jockeying merry-go-round horses
to the finish line in the Dry Creek Derby. Other scenes
showcase everyday activities: a mother and baby hanging
laundry to dry, a mechanic working in a garage and a
snow police officer rescuing a snow cat from a tree.
" I do a lot of drawing, " Debbie says with a laugh. " I
hand it off to him for the structural part of figuring out the
mounting and the backdrop construction, and we go from
there. "
Before one winter on Snowman Lane has come to a
close, Debbie's mind is already working on the next year's
additions. In 2020 came the snowman version of " The
Twelve Days of Christmas. " Last year, she added the carousel,
the racetrack and a tribute to first responders. The
biggest addition was Santa's Elf Village including a grain
bin Santa's Workshop where the Jolly Old Elf himself visited
with guests during a special walkthrough event. This
year, Debbie added a snowman Ferris wheel.
" I added 36 snowmen last year, so we had 136 snowmen
and 98 animals, " Debbie says.
Every year, Debbie and Jerry move most of the scenes
around to make the drive different for repeat visitors. Some
travelers return every year to obtain the stamped, wooden
Snowman Lane ornament, while others come back to complete
Debbie's trivia sheet. Kids especially love to see what
antics Olaf, the snowman character from Disney's " Frozen, "
is up to this year. Every admission ticket doubles as
an entry in a giveaway, with past prizes including a 2-foot
snowman or a Snowman Lane T-shirt.
With the growing collection of whimsical, warmhearted
friends, Debbie's found that she and Jerry must set up
Snowman Lane earlier every year. The husband-and-wife
duo don't mind the work.
" There's a lot of physical labor, but it's a labor of love, "
Debbie says. " It makes it all worthwhile hearing these kids
go, 'Oh, I love this!' - just hearing them have some joy. "
Snowman Lane opens
Thanksgiving and runs Friday,
Saturday and Sunday through
Dec. 30 from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
The park is located at 19020
Straughan Road north of Farmington.
Admission is $15 per vehicle, with
an upcharge for large vans and
buses. For more information, email
drycreek87sl19@gmail.com.
Above: A snowwoman Mrs. Claus waves to passersby outside the
Lees' grain bin, strung with lights for the season. Below: A snowy family
decorate Snowman Lane's Christmas tree.
Farmington
DECEMBER 2022 | RURALMISSOURI.COOP 19
http://www.RURALMISSOURI.COOP
Rural Missouri - December 2022

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