From live webcasts to texting, loyal fans of the worlds most famous groundhog will be able to receive his meteorological predictions in real time on Feb. 2.
If you cant get get to North-Central Pennsylvania to hear Punxsutawney Phils Groundhog Day forecast in person, fear not. This year, for the first time, you can sign up to get a text from Gobblers Knob via your mobile device. Just text “Groundhog” to 247365 between now and Groundhog Day. So far, over 14,000 fans have done just that.
The phenomenon that is the regions annual claim to fame falls this year on a Tuesday. Tom Chapin, editor of the Punxsutawney Spirit, says between 10,000 and 20,000 people are expected to arrive to cheer the Great Prognosticators pronouncement, delivered at dawn after a night of music and revelry. It’s Jefferson County’s biggest tourist draw.
“It always depends on the weather, and the crowds are bigger when (Feb. 2) falls on a weekend,” says Chapin.
Punxsutawney (pop. 6,700) has only one hotel and a few B&Bs inside city limits (the sold-out Pantall), but its annual tradition attracts crowds often exceeding 20,000 into the Pennsylvania Wilds, filling hotel rooms and restaurants in DuBois, Brookville, and Indiana. Those crowds can linger longer now thanks to refined February 2 attractions. In addition to a multi-day festival, the town now promotes the Weather Discovery Center and the Groundhog Wine Trail. Ice carving and art exhibits, beer and food tastings, and live concerts are scheduled from Jan. 30 to Feb. 2. Weddings can be arranged, officiated by mayor James Wehrle. Organizers stress thats its a family event; costumes, signs and groundhog hats are encouraged, while alcohol is not..
“The real value of the texting campaign is the ability to impact the airwaves with positive stories about Pennsylvania in the very slow, post-holiday news period of January-February,” says Mickey
Rowley, deputy secretary for tourism, state department of community and economic
development.
“For instance, we had a news event on January 13 promoting our groundhog texting plans and some 14,000 folks have subscribed to be a part of PA history on Feb. 2. Of those, more than 2,000 have opted-in to the visitPA tourism newsletter at no cost; that’s pretty impressive efficiency.”
Source: Tom Chapin, Puxsutawney Spirit; Mickey Rowley, PA Department of Community and Economic Development.
Writer: Chris OToole
