“This is about believing in something. This is about believing in Punxsutawney Phil. Is this necessary? No. Is this ridiculous? Absolutely. And that is why we love it,” said the teaser video, right before Phil the groundhog made his prediction.
Groundhog Day has been a part of the United States’ culture since its beginning in 1886 in Punxsutawney, Pa. However, the 1993 film, featuring Bill Murray, catapulted this small-town tradition, to a worldwide phenomenon. What started as a small gathering of 5,000 people has transformed into tens of thousands of spectators traveling to Gobbler’s Knob, where the official prophecy is made each Feb. 2. This year, there were an estimated 35,000 people in attendance.
The small town of Punxsutawney is home to one of the most famous weathermen in the world, Punxsutawney Phil. While there are multiple other weather-predicting groundhogs in the U.S., Punxsutawney Phil is the most widely known and has a huge fan base.
The town has fully embraced Groundhog Day and has made the event its entire personality. Punxsutawney has permanent, year-round tributes to this tradition downtown. They have groundhogs on street poles, murals and signs with paintings of groundhogs, and, not to mention, over 40 six feet tall fiberglass statues of Phil himself scattered all over the town. These statues all have different themes and live outside of local business’ such as Wendy’s, post offices, fire departments, schools, libraries, etc. The original statue, Phillage, is on display outside of Phil’s Burrow, which is the permanent residence of Phil and his wife Phyllis. The couple had twins back in 2024, and they are appropriately named Sunny and Shadow.
The day prior to the prophecy, Feb. 1, the town held a small festival in their town square and park. In this celebration there was something for everyone, from merch stands to food trucks, and, despite the fact that it was less than 10 degrees, everyone was excited and having a good time. Phil made his first appearance of the day at the park, where his handler, A.J. Dereume (Rainmaker), talked about groundhog 101. He explained the bougie lifestyle of both Phil and his family and all the events that he travels to.
A little later on in the day, Phil had a meet and greet with fans in his official merch store, where one could buy anything from sweatshirts to books to stamps. While petting him is off limits, Phil posed for hundreds of photos within the arms of his handler. The inner circle is a group of dignitaries that are responsible for carrying on the tradition of Groundhog Day. An important person in the inner circle made an appearance: President Tom Dunkel (Shingle Shaker). They are also given fun nicknames based on their role in the circle. The president has a large role on Feb. 2 and that is waking Phil from his stump so that he can make his yearly prediction.
The town square isn’t the only place to visit the day before Groundhog Day; spectators are also welcome to visit Gobbler’s Knob. Here, they get the opportunity to do things that wouldn’t be possible on the big day. There were photo-ops at the mainstage where you could sit by Phil’s iconic stump, visit special merch stores and get the chance to talk to the Iceman. The Iceman, Butch Philliber, is the longest serving member of the inner circle and has been a part of it since 1988. Iceman was around before the movie, and he was consulted and worked closely with the crew and cast, including Bill Murray, to perfect the depiction of the event.
On Groundhog Day, spectators were warned to set their alarms early to find a good place to stand for the announcement. The commonly chosen times were 2:30-3:30 a.m. and Phil made his decision at around 7 a.m. Early risers got a good view of the stage; however, they stood in incredibly low temperatures. The lowest temperature measured -13 degrees. By the time Phil made his decision, the temperature rose to -2 degrees.
While standing in a cold forest, a variety of performances entertained spectators. This included an acapella group: Lights Out, who sang parody songs about Phil; country music singer Ryan Jewel, who performed the national anthem; and Juvenile Characteristics, who wrote a feature song just for this event: “Wake Up Phil.” Leading up to the prophecy, an elaborate display of fireworks lit up the sky as the sun rose. Just before the Inner Circle gathered on stage to begin the ceremony, a teaser video played, hyping up the massive crowd.
Finally, the moment that everyone had been anticipating, the president tapped on the stump’s door. Phil’s handler lifted him high into the sky, presenting him to his anxious fans.
“It is my job, this February 2, to look to the skies and report back to you, that there is a shadow here on my ground. Six more weeks of winter!” Phil’s translator said.
The ground erupted with disappointed, but joking, groans and boos. However, everyone who had just witnessed the prediction live was laughing and happy to get into a cozy cafe back in town to warm up. This “silly” festival has brought many people together and will continue to as long as people pass along the tradition and continue to believe in this special groundhog’s ability to predict the weather.
