Sun Prairie Groundhog Day

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Focal Flame Photography

Jimmy the Groundhog greets his fans at the 2020 Sun Prairie Groundhog Day event.

(2022 critics' pick) Metaphysical comparisons between contemporary COVID life and the 1993 Bill Murray film aside, the original meteorological event — in which whether or not a groundhog sees his shadow determines the course of the future — is also a mindblower! A groundhog! Predicts the future! Tell me more! In Sun Prairie, Jimmy the Groundhog has a great track record for accuracy. The ceremony will be translated into Spanish, Hmong and ASL. Special guests include Henry the Lion from the Henry Vilas Zoo, Sun Prairie East High School's Kurt the Cardinal, and Sun Prairie West's Wolf who, like Prince and Adele, needs only the one name.

media release: The city of Sun Prairie is excited to celebrate the 75th Annual Groundhog Day Prognostication on Thursday, February 2, in Downtown Sun Prairie’s Cannery Square! This annual event draws crowds from near and far to gather in anticipation of whether or not there will be another six weeks of winter. Since Jimmy has an extremely high accuracy rating in his predictions, folks will want to be sure to attend.    

The ceremony begins bright and early at 6:50 a.m. with the Prognostication taking place during sunrise at 7:11 a.m. Jimmy’s announcement about winter’s duration will be announced from the stage and translated into sign language. This year’s master of ceremonies will be Rebecca Ribley, reporter at WKOW. The audience is sure to have some fun with Ribley as she engages with the crowd and throws a weather pun or two their way. 

The color guard will kick off the ceremony performing to the national anthem. This is followed by declarations from Sun Prairie Mayor Paul Esser and a gubernatorial proclamation presented by state Rep. Melissa Ratcliff declaring it officially Groundhog Day in the state of Wisconsin. Additional elected officials that will be present include city council members, Sen. Melissa Agard, and more!

Wilderness Walk Zoo and Western Town serve as the official handlers of this event’s groundhog and the city is grateful for this ongoing partnership.  

 “I always enjoy engaging with the community at this event as we eagerly await Jimmy’s prediction,” said Mayor Esser. “This is a tradition that highlights the quirkiness and fun of our community.”  

The fun continues even after Jimmy exits the event. Local shops in Downtown Sun Prairie will be presenting some great Groundhog Day offerings that should not be passed up! To catch a peek at some of these deals, check out the Visit Sun Prairie and Downtown Sun Prairie Facebook pages where information will be posted. The official Prognostication video will also be shared on those pages.

A great addition to local deals is taking advantage of photo ops with all the special guests that include Jimmy the Groundhog Mascot, Sun Prairie East Kurt the Cardinal, and Sun Prairie West Wolf.

“I love to keep the people in anticipation of my winter weather prediction,” said Jimmy the Groundhog. “I invite everyone to come out, grab some hot cocoa, and enjoy an early morning of fun.” 

To access the event page, please go to https://www.facebook.com/events/521516576612944/. 

To learn more about the history of Groundhog Day, please visit https://cityofsunprairie.com/840/Groundhog-Day. 

Cannery Square is the place to be for a morning with surprises to hear Jimmy’s prediction live. Downtown Sun Prairie... we’re having fun down here!