When I hit the road for my summer cross country road trip, a visit to Punxsutawney, was not on my radar. I was driving down the Pennsylvania highway, happily on my way to the World’s Largest Yogi Bear statue, when a sign caught my eye: Punxustawney exit 97. A smile sprang onto my face and I was like wait. Am I close to Punxsutawney??
Now you might be wondering, why am I so hyped about a random town with a weird name in Pennsylvania. Well the town of Punxsutawney has been on my go to list for years now and it’s because it’s the home to of none other than Groundhog’s Day!
Groundhog’s Day is without a doubt one of my favorite holidays. And if you are curious, my top three holidays, in no order, are Halloween, Groundhog’s Day, and Saint Patty’s Day. One might say, I am a fan of some of the more eccentric holidays.
So obviously, I had to make the detour.
The Celebration
It has come to my attention, that sadly, not everyone is familiar with Groundhog’s Day. And for that reason, I am excited to share with you your new favorite holiday.
This celebration takes place every year on February 2nd, the actual midpoint between winter solstice and spring equinox. The purpose of this midwinter celebration, besides bringing joy and community together, is to get a weather prediction for the remainder of winter. The trusty weather host and extraordinaire is none-other the the most famous groundhog in the entire world, Punxsutawney Phil.
You heard that right, the whole event is centered around a groundhog named Phil. On this day, the main event includes Phil emerging from his burrow to predict the weather for the remaining of the winter season. If Phil sees his shadow, he predicts 6 more weeks of winter, and if he doesn’t then it leads to an early spring.
This event along brings in thousands of visitors to Punxsutawney every year. Want to learn more? Check out my Groundhog’s Day deep dive.
Visiting Punxsutawney
It is on my bucket list to celebrate Groundhog’s Day in Punxsutaweney. I did have the opportunity a few years back to go out and celebrate. At the time I was living in New Hampshire and unfortunately could not make it work. A decision, that has forever haunted me since.
But luckily for me, the town is fun to visit all year round, regardless of the season.
My visit came on the weekend before the fourth of July and to my surprise, there was a summer festival going on the same time that I was in town. This coincidence truly makes me believe that it’s a party everyday in Punxsutaweney.
The downtown square was filled with people, live music, rides and vendors. I walked around with a huge toothy grin on my face as I shopped through groundhog themed vendor stalls with music and the happy shouts of children playing in the background while enjoying some Phil themed street art. It was an unexpected pocket of life that I was happy to stumble upon.
After making a lap around the festival, it was time for the main show. The whole reason I was there in the first place: visiting the one, the only Mr. Punxsutawney Phil. Which just so happens to be a pretty easy feat, his burrow is located in the center of town with a viewing window so you can stop by for a visit anytime of year.
When I made my way over to his burrow and caught a glance inside, I was star struck. There he was, napping comfortably in his home/temperature controlled mini mansion. He lives here for most of the year, really only leaving for special events, with his wife Phylis. Yes, he has a wife and two kids named Sunny and Shadow – very fitting names for a weather predicting family of Groundhog’s.
I spent a lot of time with Phil, did a full interview if you will. At the end, he did ask that I kept most of our conversation off record. And I will respect his wishes. He did however tell me a few things that I am welcome to share.
Phil has been predicting weather since the first noted Groundhog’s day event, which was in 1886. Yes, that does make him over 140 years old. How is this possible you ask, especially when most Groundhog’s only live about 6-8 years? Well, it’s due to a magic elixir. Punxsutawney also holds a yearly summer festival to celebrate this ritual. Phil gets his longevity from drinking the elixir of life, a secret recipe created by the Inner Circle so he can continue on his merry way of predicting the weather each winter. It is a very important job.
Phil also wanted me to tell you that his favorite meal is Dandelion leaves, especially in the early spring. Though, I think he was hinting towards wrapping up this interview so he could go get some dinner. I took the hint, as he was kind enough to welcome me to his burrow and I did not want to overstay my welcome. I said my goodbyes and walked back towards town.
As you walk around, there are plentiful photo ops throughout town including a top hat that you can pop out of, murals and even 35 six foot tall Phil statues. Each of the 35 statues are themed differently through town. I did not have enough daylight to see them all, but if you’re up for the challenge they have an excellent map here. A scaveneger hunt I will certainly be participating in on my next visit.
I stayed and watched as the sunset on Punxsutawney. It is a beautiful quirky town that I happily will be making my return to one day.
