Five Minutes of Baltimore History

Snowballs!

By Johns Hopkins,

Published April 21, 2026 at 4:53 PM EDT

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Johns Hopkins enjoys his favorite snowball flavor in front of The Peggy, a beloved snowball stand in Walther Gardens.

A beloved tradition in Baltimore, the snowball has been a long-time, delicious and popular treat. Enjoyed throughout both the Great Depression and World War II and once known as "penny sundaes" or "hard time sundaes," they are an enduring staple in the city's hot summers.

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Johns Hopkins

Johns Hopkins has been the director of Baltimore Heritage since 2003, working to preserve historic places and revitalize historic neighborhood in Baltimore.

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Lisa Morgan

Lisa Morgan covered the local arts community as co-creator and host of WYPR’s award-winning program The Signal from 2004 to 2015. She has created and produced many programs for WYPR, including news stories, features, commentaries, and audio documentaries. She taught audio production at Goucher College and has done voice-over work for a variety of clients. The Weekly Reader is her latest project.

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