Two Hearts. Two Hometowns. One Legendary Snowball.

 

 

Every great business has a great story behind it, and ours is no different — it just happens to involve a little boy from New Orleans, a California girl who went full Southern, and a dream that took about 35 years to come true.

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Patrick Fitzgerald grew up in the heart of New Orleans, Louisiana, where summers were hot, the culture was rich, and the best remedy for both was a perfectly shaved, flavor-drenched snowball from the neighborhood stand. As a kid, he didn't just love snowballs — he dreamed about them. Dreamed about having his own stand one day, his own flavors, his own little slice of that pure New Orleans magic. Life had other plans first, as it tends to do, and Patrick spent the better part of a decade building LAS Fencing and Event Rentals from the ground up — pouring sweat, hard work, and serious grit into every post and panel. He's earned his stripes the hard way, and he decided it was time to trade the heavy lifting for something a whole lot sweeter.

Amy Fitzgerald — co-owner, creative force, and Patrick's better half since 2017 — was born and raised in Southern California, but don't let that fool you. She packed up the West Coast life, landed in Mobile, Alabama in 1996, and never looked back. Three decades of Southern living will do that to a person. These days she's a full-time graphic designer by day and the creative genius behind Perfectly Coastal Creations by Amy — a custom design business where she's handcrafted everything from personalized tumblers and embroidered keepsakes to tote bags and one-of-a-kind gifts. With her design work keeping her busier than ever, she may be making fewer custom creations these days, but she's channeling all of that creativity into something the whole family can enjoy.

And this truly is a family affair. Enter Skylar — 15 years old, quietly creative, and proof that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. She may be on the shy side, but don't let that fool you either. This girl crochets intricate amigurumi animals with the kind of patience and artistic eye that most people twice her age don't have. This summer, she's trading her crochet hooks for snowball cups and working alongside Patrick at the Sno-Shak, learning everything there is to know about the authentic New Orleans snowball — the perfect shave, the right pour, the art of layering flavors just so. There's something pretty magical about watching the next generation step into a dream that started long before she was born, and something tells us she's going to put her own quiet, creative stamp on it before the summer's out.

Together, they make a pretty unstoppable team. Patrick brings the New Orleans soul — the authentic recipes, the flavors, the passion for the craft. Amy brings the design eye, the business savvy, and just enough Southern California sunshine to keep things fun. And Skylar brings that quiet creative spark that reminds you great things don't always need to be loud to be extraordinary.

The result? Nola Sno-Shak — where Southern breezes meet Big Easy dreams, one perfectly shaved snowball at a time.

This one's been a long time coming. We're so glad you're here for it.

— Patrick, Amy & Skylar The Fitzgerald Family Nola Sno-Shak