So far, we’ve heard of at least three snowball fights planned for tomorrow in the District. One near Randle Circle in Southeast (noon), another in a field near the New York Avenue Metro station in Northeast (1 p.m.), and a third on the National Mall (3 p.m.).

Given what happened during D.C.’s last big snow at D.C.’s last snowball fight—remember all those anarchists?—we thought we’d ask Rhys Gerholdt, executive director of CarbonfreeDC, who is helping organize the one in NE, a few questions. Because all of these snowball fights seem awfully suspicious.  

City Paper: In publicizing your event, you said, “While some folks will be hunkered down in their houses clutching their canned goods, CarbonfreeDC invites you to make the best of it by getting together to have a glorious day of snowman making and snowball fights.” What is the real purpose of this snowball fight?

Rhys Gerholdt: The real purpose of the snowball fight is to enjoy the winter as opposed to being afraid of it and to celebrate snow before climate change makes it go by the wayside. Before climate change hampers snowball-making for years to come.

CP: What, exactly, is your definition of a snowball fight?

RG: When people come outside and make balls of snow and toss them at each other?

CP: Do you think snowball fights and anarchy are synonymous?

RG: Only if you want them to be. They can be good family fun. I don’t think anarchy is necessarily good family fun.

CP: You have planned your snowball fight for a “large field.” Don’t you think it’d be better to have it at a major intersection like 14th and U NW?

RG: Um, I think that we’ll stay out of the major crowd areas and cop-patrol areas down here. [This location] also allows us to have bigger snowballs and bigger snowmen. My hope is to make giant caterpillars.

CP: Caterpillars?

RG: Sometimes you make the balls too big to actually stack them on top of each other.

CP: Do you know if anyone is going to bring weapons of any sort?

RG: No, I don’t know.

CP: Are you expecting the police?

RG: I’m not expecting the police, but if they want to come and throw snowballs, they’re more than welcome.

Gerholdt is not planning to set any snowball fight world records here; he’ll be happy if 30 or more people show up.

But, he added, “It might snowball.”

Photo by Darrow Montgomery