How Hollywood Put Punxsutawney on the Map

The Groundhog Day festivities depicted in the film Groundhog Day, may have increased tourism to the area, but they don’t accurately represent the party that occurs every Feb. 2 on Gobbler’s Knob above Punxsutawney. Waiting for the groundhog, during a cold February night with music, dancing, and fireworks with people from all over the world, is something everyone should do at least once in their lives. (Photo from Punxsutawney Phil’s Facebook page)

By Julie Rae Rickard

PUNXSUTAWNEY – Although people in Punxsutawney have been celebrating Feb. 2nd as Groundhog Day since the 1880’s, it became a cultural phenomenon and a draw for people all over the world after the release of the film, Groundhog Day in 1993.

The movie, in case you haven’t seen it, is about a Pittsburgh weatherman covering the event for his local station. He has done a live remote from Punxsutawney for years and is not happy at all that he is going back.

This sarcastic, self-centered man, Phil Connors played by Bill Murray, finds himself waking up and repeating the same day, over and over. It is a comedy, but at times it is a bit dark as Phil tries to end suffering by killing himself. This doesn’t work, and he wakes up in his bed with Sonny & Cher playing on the radio, just like every other day.

Eventually he finds ways to use his time wisely, like learning to play the piano, and finds redemption and love.

It is a weird premise for a film, but the way it is executed is brilliant and entertaining. It was written by Danny Rubin and Harold Ramis, who also directed it.

In pop culture, the term “Groundhog Day” now refers to anyone stuck in a rut and the time loop idea has been used in other media.

It made over $100 million in the United States and around the world.

The movie is not really about the Groundhog Day activities although they are featured over and over again as the day repeats.

When I first saw it in a theater while living in Minnesota, I immediately knew it was not filmed in Punxsutawney and was surprised the groundhog made his prediction in the town square and not on a hill like the real famed Gobbler’s Knob.

Punxsutawney was considered by producers for the film, but eventually they decided it was too remote and didn’t have the space to house the cast and crew. It was shot in Woodstock, Illinois instead.

But this did not impact the interest in Punxsutawney and the groundhog, also called Phil.

The movie has become a cult classic and is often broadcast on Feb. 2 with AMC offering a day-long marathon of the beloved film.

Reports indicate that the annual number of visitors to Punxsutawney rose from 5,000 to near $35,000 and the event brings about $1 million into the town each year.

The number of activities scheduled around the rodent’s prediction have grown too and expanded into the day before and after, giving visitors even more options for entertainment and encouraging them to stay in the town.

This includes a special reception for Groundhog Club members, a banquet, a ball, talent show and more Several of these give people the opportunity to meet Phil, himself.

Tourists often visit in the “off season” when they can tour the area, without crowds and cold.

But, the main event is still on Gobbler’s Knob early on a cold February morning with music playing, dancing, entertainment and a large fire. It is quite a party.

People wait for hours for Phil to emerge from his burrow to either see his shadow or not and announce whether or not we will have six more weeks of winter.

If you have ever wondered who came up with the idea that a hibernating animal could predict the weather, you have to go way back in time for the answer.

Before Phil, there was a tradition that if it was sunny on Candlemas, Feb. 2, winter would continue, but if it was cloudy/raining, winter would be over.

Candlemas was a Christian holiday when people “would take their candles to church to have them blessed,” according to the website, groundhog.org.

Eventually this evolved in Germany to include a hedgehog and Germans migrating to the United States, chose the groundhog as their weather forecaster here.

The first known celebration of the day was 1886 as it was mentioned in a local newspaper. The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club was established in 1887.

The “Inner Circle”, “a group of local dignitaries are responsible for carrying on the tradition of Groundhog Day every year” and are the ones who care for Phil during the rest of the year.

Originally, just the locals attended the ceremony on Gobbler’s Knob above the town, but as the years passed, the news of Phil’s latest prediction was shared in many newspapers.

After the success of the film, Phil actually appeared on the Oprah Winfrey show and in 1998, the prediction ceremony was first streamed live on the Internet.

Phil, the World’s Most Famous Groundhog, Seer of Seers, Prognosticator of Prognosticators, and Weather Prophet Extraordinaire, more often than not predicts winter will last six more weeks.