Every Feb. 2, the people of the US collectively hold their breath, eagerly waiting to hear if winter will continue for six weeks, or if there will be an early spring. Luckily for the Midwest, this year we are going to have an early spring. Now what is the determining factor for predictions of the seasons? An immortal groundhog known as Punxsutawney Phil of course. The actual process of determining the weather is simple; if Phil sees his shadow, winter continues, if he doesn’t, there will be an early spring. 

Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania is the home of Phil and every Feb. 2, since 1886, the town has held festivities to celebrate the day. Many have heard of Groundhog Day, the festivities, and the legend of Punxsutawney Phil. Few have experienced the magic of the day firsthand. 

Seniors Greta Lampen, Lindsey Michell, and Sydney Miller can say that they have. The idea to experience Groundhog Day for the group began as a spontaneous thought.

“It was kind of just a random idea. We got the idea junior year,” Michell said. 

The possibility of going only increased as more people learned of the plan.

“We didn’t think our parents were going to let us go, and then we finally just asked them. They said ‘sure’ so then we kind of had to,” Lampen said. 

While the TV broadcast of Phil looking for his shadow occurs in the early morning hours, the group’s day had to begin even earlier to catch the event in real-time.

“We were staying at a hotel 45 minutes away from Punxsutawney. We had to get up at two in the morning to drive to a Walmart parking lot in Punxsutawney and took school buses to the event from there,” Michell said.

The town is very committed to encouraging residents to celebrate the holiday, so some extra measures are taken.

“They don’t have school on Groundhog Day in Punxsutawney, and that’s why we went on school buses,” Miller said. 

Leading up to Phil looking for his shadow, there is a lot to do at the event. 

“As soon as the sun rises, that’s when Phil makes his prediction, but leading up to that it’s just a big party. There was a band, a fireworks show, food, and a souvenir shop,” Michell said. 

However, the events before Phil comes out still fall short when compared to the moment Phil emerges. 

“My favorite part was when they pulled Phil out and held him up for everyone to see. That was a really good moment,” Michell said. 

The moment Phil emerged was so exciting the group even had the opportunity to take a picture with him.

“At the end, we got to take a picture with Phil and they put him in a little tube,” Miller said. 

As for the future, it’s uncertain whether the trip will be made again.

“I would definitely say I would go again, but not too soon. Maybe in a couple of years,” Lampen said. 

Nonetheless, the positives outweigh the negatives, and the trip is recommended. 

“I recommend that people go. I could tell them how to go and how to plan it,” Michell said.