On February 2 each year, Punxsutawney holds a civic festival with music and food. During the ceremony, which begins well before the winter sunrise, Phil emerges from his temporary home on Gobbler's Knob, located in a rural area about 2 miles southeast of the town. According to the tradition, if Phil sees his shadow and returns to his hole, he has predicted six more weeks of winter-like weather. If Phil does not see his shadow, he has predicted an "early spring." Punxsutawney's event is the most famous of many Groundhog Day festivals held in the United States and Canada. The event formally began in 1887, although its roots go back even further. The event is based upon a communal light-hearted suspension of disbelief which extends to the assertion that the same groundhog has been making predictions since the 19th century. For more extensive information, read here - but please return to this page.

These photos were all taken on July 4th because Lee and Karen duquette will probably never be able to be in the area for any February celebration.

Below: The Punxsutawney murals as seen from each side of the bridge

The left side of the bridge

The right side of the bridge

Below: Bigger, closer photo of the right side of the bridge as shown above.

Below: The mural under the bridge

Below: The continuation of the mural shown above as it goes under the bridge

Below: The continuation of the mural shown above as it extends to the right side of the bridge

Below: There were lots of Punxsutawney Phil groundhog statues around the town, a groundhog residing in Young Township near Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, who is the central figure in Punxsutawney's annual Groundhog Day celebration

Below: 4 views of the Berkshire Hathaway Home Services - ball park groundhog

Below: two close-up photos of part of the above GroundHog

Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania and Punxsutawney Phil has been divided into two pages, for faster loading of photos. So please continue on to the fairgrounds, the actual stage at Gobbler's Knob and the groundhog store.