The observance of Groundhog Day in the United States first occurred in German communities in Pennsylvania, according to known records. The earliest mention of Groundhog Day is an entry on February 2, 1840, in the diary of James L. Morris of Morgantown, in Pennsylvania Dutch Country, according to the book on the subject by Don Yoder. This was a February 2, 1886 - The Punxsutawney Spirit newspaper proclaims this date as Pennsylvania's first official Groundhog Day celebration. 1986 - Phil travels to Washington, DC to meet with President What is Groundhog Day? People flock to Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, on Feb. 2 every year to be a part of the celebrations revolving around Punxsutawney Phil's winter forecast. Groundhog Day should be on everyone’s bucket list. Groundhog Day is held at Gobbler’s Knob, a field a little under two miles outside of downtown Punxsutawney, PA. The gates to the grounds open at 3am. No tickets are required as Groundhog Day is a free event. From 3am until approximately 7:20am, a party happens at Gobbler’s Knob. 3 of 15 | . FILE - The groundhog saw his shadow, Feb. 2, 1954, as the sun peeked through an overcast sky at Washington Park Zoo in Milwaukee, Wis. The arrival of annual Groundhog Day celebrations Friday, Feb. 2, 2024, will draw thousands of people to see celebrity woodchuck Phil at Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Pa. — an event that exploded in popularity after the 1993 Bill Murray movie. The first official Groundhog Day took place on February 2, 1887, in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. The event took up permanent residence at Gobbler’s Knob the following year. The first official Groundhog Day celebration took place on February 2, 1887, in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. The annual ritual has roots in pre-Christian traditions and was brought to the U.S. by Groundhog Day, in the United States and Canada, day (February 2) on which the emergence of the groundhog from its burrow is said to foretell the weather for the following six weeks. In the United States the most popular event occurs in Pennsylvania and centers on a groundhog designated Punxsutawney Phil. While Groundhog Day is Feb. 2, celebrations in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania begin Feb. 1. Punxsutawney is located between Route 422 and Interstate 80 in Western Pennsylvania south of Erie, north of The Pennsylvania Lottery's mascot is a groundhog named Gus, referred to in commercials as "the second most famous groundhog in Pennsylvania", in deference to Phil. [26] Because the Groundhog Club Inner Circle has trademarked the use of the name "Punxsutawney Phil", no commercial entity may use the name without the permission from the Inner Groundhog Day 2025: Will Punxsutawney Phil, Buckeye Chuck see their shadows? Ohio's Buckeye Chuck—and his Pennsylvania counterpart who gets more publicity, He is only right around 39% of Groundhog Day is Sunday, and now is a good time to familiarize yourself before you check out the annual weather forecasting festivals in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. Here's what you need PUNXSUTAWNEY, Penn. - Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania is the Mecca for those around the country celebrating Groundhog Day. Every year, on Feb. 2, tens of thousands of people flock to this small town of less than 6,000 people some 80 miles northeast of Pittsburgh, to see whether the town's rodent Groundhog Club handler A.J. Dereume holds Punxsutawney Phil during the 138th celebration of Groundhog Day on Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, Friday, Feb. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger) Of course, even the organizers of the annual Groundhog Day event in western Pennsylvania acknowledge that turning to a large rodent for weather forecasting is mostly a way to break up winter monotony. Official Groundhog Day events hosted by the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club and the Inner Circle. Groundhog Club Members Only Reception PA 15767. 814-618-5591 The Hummelstown Groundhog Day celebration in Dauphin County is a charming, small-town event that highlights community spirit and Pennsylvania’s beloved Groundhog Day tradition. Every year on Groundhog Club Members Only Reception, Fraternal Order of the Eagles 1231, 3:30-5:30 p.m. Groundhog Eve Wine Shine and Hops Walk, hosted by the Punxsutawney Area Chamber of Commerce, Barclay Uncover the history of Groundhog Day and why a groundhog predicts America in the 1700s and settled in Pennsylvania, to be the one and only official weather forecasting groundhog."
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