Frozen Pants Found Chilling Around Northeast Minneapolis

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- If you live or spend any time in Northeast Minneapolis, you may have noticed a quirky new trend of outdoor winter art.

Locals have been freezing their jeans and other clothing and placing them in their yards as icy sculptures, and it all began as a way to add comedy to the recent brutally cold temperatures.

"Yesterday, right behind me, I saw the man standing in the yard and I didn't really know what to think," northeast Minneapolis resident Justin Hauser said. "I thought it was a person at first, but then saw that it was just frozen clothes I guess!"

Residents have been freezing pants and other clothing and putting them on display around the area. The theme: It was so cold during the recent cold snap that Minnesotans are freezing their pants off.

Photo Gallery: Frozen Pants Take City By Storm

"You know, it's so creative, and it's so true," Minneapolis resident Lanaya Baker said. "You know if you get wet at all and you're out in the cold, you know everything's frozen."

It started with one northeast Minneapolis resident placing frozen pants across the neighborhood to lighten the mood during the recent stretch of subzero temperatures. Now neighbors are joining in on the fun and posting pictures of their frozen clothing on social media.

They've moved from the yard to the sidewalk, with comments like, "The dog wouldn't even come with us," or, "Frozen in our tracks." One with frozen bathing suits bore the caption, "Dreaming of summer."

Some residents understandably find the trend a little strange.

"I saw it on a walk with my dog," Hauser said. "Just some pants, and my dog was really afraid of them so he tried to run away."

But many other Northeasters think it's a great way to make light of the ridiculous cold.

"Oh, they're so cute! They're just the best," Baker said. "You know, because it's a piece of art and it highlights how freaking cold it is!"

If you'd like to check out the frozen displays, you can find them around 2nd Street and 16th Avenue. There are also some along Marshall Avenue near Broadway.