The Story behind Pelican’s Snoballs

Way back in the early 1990’s I (mis)spent a few years in New Orleans and one thing that I recall from that time is there’s probably only one thing that is more culturally relevant to the good people of the Crescent City than a box of Popeye’s Fried Chicken and daiquiri at a Mardi Gras parade and that’s the much endeared New Orleans snowball.

Perhaps it’s because nothing cools a person down faster in 90 degree heat/90 percent humidity weather than when consuming an icy treat, or perhaps it’s because the legal drinking age, depending upon who you ask is somewhere between  18 – 21 in NOLA.  Either way, a New Orleans style snowball is a treat to behold and what a treat it is to have nearly authentic NOLA style snowballs right here in S.E. Raleigh and Apex! But I’ll get back to why it’s nearly NOLA in just a minute.

For those who are uninitiated Pelicans Snowball is open from the first day of Spring until October 12^th this year and even though it has been an exceptionally cold winter and rainy spring, it hasn’t deterred the faithful, including me and my family from making the pilgrimage to the rustic little snowball stand.

I’ve lived just down the street from Adrian, the ‘owner’ of Pelicans since 2009 and so perhaps it was the proximity of our mutual cohabitation that gave me the courage to call him and ask him to following questions about my favorite little New Orleans Style Snowball stand. What I discovered is that this is a family owned small business with a rich story that embodies both the American entrepreneurial spirit while paying homage to their family’s values.