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| Woodstock Famous for Groundhog Day |
(IRN)-Woodstock, Ill. claims to be the No. 1 spot for Groundhog Day.
Woodstock, population 24,500, is where the motion picture Groundhog Day was filmed 19 years ago. That's why Woodstock is ahead of Punxatawney, Pa., in the Groundhog Day pecking order, says Pam Moorhouse, a local librarian and member of the Woodstock Groundhog Days Committee.
"Because the movie was filmed here, and they actually did think about filming it there in Pennsylvania and we won out, we're pretty proud of that fact," she said. "It is amazing how our community has embraced the filming and the ongoing celebration every year."
The movie, starring Bill Murray and Andie McDowell, was shot in 1992 and released in 1993. In 2006, the film was added to the United States National Film Registry as being deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." Murray portrays a TV weatherman who tires of covering Groundhog Day, but gets snowed in and experiences the same day repeatedly.
This will be the 17th year of groundhog observances in Woodstock, which features a rented groundhog, Woodstock Willie, a descendant of the one that appeared in the movie. Several hundred people are expected to be on hand for the groundhog's emergence at 7:07 a.m.
According to legend, if the groundhog sees his shadow, he'll be scared and run back into his hole, portending six more weeks of winter weather. If it's cloudy and the groundhog doesn’t see his shadow, an early spring is to be expected.
(Source: Illinois Radio Network) |
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| 02 01 11 by Newsroom |
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