Sno-Balls Are In Season!

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I am a 6th generation New Orleans native and one thing of the many delicacies integral to our culture is the sno-ball. Non-natives often mistake it for a snow cone, but the difference is that a sno-ball (also spelled "snow ball" or "snoball") is made from very finely shaved ice (rather than crushed), and you can add different things to them such as cream, ice cream, fruit, Hershey chocolate -- pretty much anything you could put in an ice cream sundae. In New Orleans, there are literally sno-ball stands everywhere, and each one has their own unique flavors and toppings. Some sno-ball stands are open year-round, but most are seasonal. Sno-ball season typically begins early March and starts to wind down around the beginning of October or so. My dad used to own a sno-ball stand back in college. According to him, his was the first sno-ball stand (that he knew of) to add ice cream to the shaved ice. Now it's done all the time. He only had his sno-ball stand for one season ("It was ground breaking and money-losing," he said.") He was the one who got me into sno-balls, though, and I grew up with stories of his short-lived stint in "sno business!" Sno-balls are actually pretty popular outside of New Orleans. I am currently living in North Carolina and we have a sno-ball chain here called Pelican's, of which I am a frequent customer. Does anyone else like sno-balls here?