Tag: Woodstock Willie

More winter or early spring depends on your groundhog

Woodstock Willie predicts spring (photo courtesy of Real Woodstock)
Woodstock Willie predicts spring (photo courtesy of Real Woodstock)

If you believe what furry little burrowing animals predict on Groundhog Day, Feb. 2, regarding an early spring or six more weeks of winter, it  might depend on where you live.

Punxsutawney Phil’s  prediction, held every Groundhog Day in Western Pennsylvania since 1887, is for more winter.

Phil reportedly saw his shadow at 7:25 Eastern Time according to the The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club during a virtual 2021 event instead of at a jammed Gobbler’s Knob.

But in the Midwestern town of  Woodstock IL, Woodstock Willie who at first was reluctant to leave his abode, noted at 7:07 a.m. Central Time, he definitely didn’t see his shadow so he predicted an early spring to a happy crowd of attendees.

Following the prediction, everyone was invited to Toast to World Peace” over at the Public House of Woodstock’s patio.

“This has been a doozy of a year so we are excited to bring some hope to the world by still hosting the prognostication in Woodstock,” said Danielle Gulli, president of Real Woodstock and the Woodstock Area Chamber of commerce and Industry.

No matter what the groundhog’s weather prediction was in Pennsylvania back in 1992, “Groundhog Day,” written by Harold Ramis and Danny Rubin, was mostly filmed in Woodstock.

The movie  become a fan favorite when released by Columbia Pictures in 1993 and started bringing visitors to the picturesque town following a small, groundhog celebration in 1995.

BTW the prediction didn’t matter but the movie’s snowstorm ignored by Bill Murray as a TV weatherman, did. See the trailer.

Related: Groundhog Day is back in Woodstock.

Jodie Jacobs

Groundhog Day relived

 

Woodstock Square where Phil the weatherman and Rita the reporter had their snowball fight in the movie ‘groundhog Day’ (J Jacobs photo)

Maybe groundhogs Woodstock Willie in Illinois and Punxsutawne Phil in Pennsylvania will not see their shadows on Feb. 2, 2020, this year’s Groundhog Day. So maybe spring will come early.

However you feel about a creature’s ability to predict the end of winter, the place to be if you are an early riser and live in Illinois is the village of Woodstock where Harold Ramis had filmed “Groundhog Day,” the popular 1993 movie that he and Danny Rubin wrote.

The celebratory highlight is a very early morning wake-up call for Woodstock Willie. The prognostication takes place Sunday in the town’s historic Woodstock’Square at 7 a.m.

But even if not willing to witness the weather prediction first hand, the town’s Groundhog Day festival is worth the drive. Woodstock has been celebrating the movie and it’s filmed locations for more than 25 years with a free movie showing, marked locations and tours.

To learn more about the event visit Woodstockgroundhog.

To learn about Punxsutawne Phil and the location where Bill Murray was supposed to go as TV weatherman Phil Connors, and how repeating each day until he could get Rita, the accompanying reporter to like him (Andie MacDowell) visit Groundhog.

Jodie Jacobs