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<\/p>\nIt’s 6 a.m. on a cold February morning. In a frozen field. 50,000 people are holding their breath, awaiting the decision from a groundhog. There are cheers. There are boos. There are fireworks.<\/p>\n
This is Groundhog Day in Punxsutawney, when a small town becomes the center of the world. Thousands of strangers become a family, and a groundhog named Phil reminds everyone that joy, tradition and a little bit of magic still matter.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s really a unique event,\u201d said Katie Berger, executive director of the Pennsylvania Tourism Office. \u201cIt\u2019s this teeny tiny little town in Western Pennsylvania, and the whole thing really comes alive.\u201d<\/p>\n
The buzz of anticipation builds at Gobbler\u2019s Knob, where thousands gather in the cold and dark, bundled head-to-toe. Buses begin rolling in at around 2 a.m., as music and excitement fill the night. \u201cIt\u2019s like a big block party energy, really,\u201d Berger said. \u201cIt is cold out, but people don\u2019t care.\u201d<\/p>\n
They come from everywhere. \u201cYou have people travel from all 50 states all across the world,\u201d Berger said. \u201cThis is just like a big bucket list event for them.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Photo by Michael Swensen\/Getty Images<\/p>\n
The celebration has been hosted by the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club in some form for about 140 years, powered largely by volunteers and local families. \u201cIt is a really homegrown effort, boots on the ground in Punxsutawney,\u201d Berger said. You might find an organizer\u2019s mom selling souvenirs or brother juggling a full-time job while pouring their heart into the event.<\/p>\n
\u201cDoes he see a shadow? Does he not?\u201d Berger said, explaining there\u2019s a playful divide between Team Winter and Team Spring. It\u2019s all part of the fun for Punxsutawney faithfuls.<\/p>\n
(MORE: Inside Punxsutawney Groundhog Club\u2019s Inner Circle<\/a>)<\/p>\n \u201cIt is such an authentic and true event,\u201d she said. \u201cThere\u2019s so few things anymore that are rooted in such history without a lot of technology built in.\u201d The lore and the rituals are all honored exactly as they always have been.<\/p>\n In a fast-moving, hyper-connected world, Groundhog Day asks people to slow down. \u201cIt just forces you to kind of like slow down and enjoy it in the moment,\u201d Berger said. \u201cYou\u2019re there, you see it as it happens and that\u2019s a rarity these days.\u201d<\/p>\n And if you can\u2019t make the trip? You\u2019re still invited. The event is livestreamed on VisitPA.com<\/a> so everyone can share the moment in real time.<\/p>\n For one morning each year, Punxsutawney proves that tradition still has power, community still matters and wonder can show up in the most unexpected ways, reminding us to pause, look around and enjoy the moment.<\/p>\n