- - Why Thousands Brave The Cold For Groundhog Day In This Tiny Pennsylvania Town

Jenn JordanJanuary 31, 2026 at 3:30 AM

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It's 6 a.m. on a cold February morning. In a frozen field. 50,000 people are holding their breath, awaiting the decision from a groundhog. There are cheers. There are boos. There are fireworks.

This is Groundhog Day in Punxsutawney, when a small town becomes the center of the world. Thousands of strangers become a family, and a groundhog named Phil reminds everyone that joy, tradition and a little bit of magic still matter.

“It’s really a unique event,” said Katie Berger, executive director of the Pennsylvania Tourism Office. “It’s this teeny tiny little town in Western Pennsylvania, and the whole thing really comes alive.”

The buzz of anticipation builds at Gobbler’s Knob, where thousands gather in the cold and dark, bundled head-to-toe. Buses begin rolling in at around 2 a.m., as music and excitement fill the night. “It’s like a big block party energy, really,” Berger said. “It is cold out, but people don’t care.”

They come from everywhere. “You have people travel from all 50 states all across the world,” Berger said. “This is just like a big bucket list event for them.”

Photo by Michael Swensen/Getty Images

The celebration has been hosted by the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club in some form for about 140 years, powered largely by volunteers and local families. “It is a really homegrown effort, boots on the ground in Punxsutawney,” Berger said. You might find an organizer’s mom selling souvenirs or brother juggling a full-time job while pouring their heart into the event.

“Does he see a shadow? Does he not?” Berger said, explaining there’s a playful divide between Team Winter and Team Spring. It’s all part of the fun for Punxsutawney faithfuls.

(MORE: Inside Punxsutawney Groundhog Club’s Inner Circle)

“It is such an authentic and true event,” she said. “There’s so few things anymore that are rooted in such history without a lot of technology built in.” The lore and the rituals are all honored exactly as they always have been.

In a fast-moving, hyper-connected world, Groundhog Day asks people to slow down. “It just forces you to kind of like slow down and enjoy it in the moment,” Berger said. “You’re there, you see it as it happens and that’s a rarity these days.”

And if you can’t make the trip? You’re still invited. The event is livestreamed on VisitPA.com so everyone can share the moment in real time.

For one morning each year, Punxsutawney proves that tradition still has power, community still matters and wonder can show up in the most unexpected ways, reminding us to pause, look around and enjoy the moment.

Weather.com lead editor Jenn Jordan explores how weather and climate weave through our daily lives, shape our routines and leave lasting impacts on our communities.

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL General News”