Groundhog Day – Travel Smart With Jodie

Four events to look forward to in February

Past winner of Winterfest (Photo courtesy of Lake Geneva Chamber)

Many folks are ready to say goodbye to January’s below freezing temps and heavy snow shoveling. So here are some events to put on the calendar to help.

Wisconsin’s Lake Geneva Winterfest Jen 31-Feb 4

Amazing snow sculptures will be created along Geneva Lake during Lake Geneva, Wi’s US National Snow Sculpting Championship. It is part of the town’s 29th Annual Winterfest that includes several activities.

Although it begins Jan. 31, visitors won’t see the completed sculptures until that first Saturday in February. It takes a while to have the snow delivered to each sculpting team’s worksite and it takes time for them to carve out their masterpieces.

There will be 15 state championship teams competing from all over the US. Look for them sculpting at Riviera Plaza and Flat Iron Park Judges will rate the work at about 1 p.m. Saturday. In past years, visitors also had a chance to vote for their favorites.

Strolling the downtown to shop, see ice sculptures, watch snow sculpting and enjoy live entertainment fills out the days until the winners are announced. Sculptures are still up on Sunday, weather permitting.

For more information visit Winterfest Lake Geneva.

Woodstock IL town square filmed in Groundhog Day (JJacobs photo)

Groundhog Day is back in Woodstock, IL (but also in Punxsutawney, PA)

Events surrounding the famed 1993 film start Feb. 1 but are celebrated with a redo of the weather predicting creature in Woodstock, IL on Feb 2. Suppposedly, film director Harold Ramis chose Woodstock for filming because the story-line location in Pennsylvania was far from his North Shore home in Illinois.

To see where weather forecaster Bill Murray and his station co-worker, Andie MacDowell fell in love, go to Woodstock, not Pennsylvania, a tourist destination northwest of Chicago with a picturesque square featured in the movie.

If in town early in the morning Feb. 2, you hear groundhog Woodstock Willie say when spring will come. But stay to tour the film’s sites and see the movie.

For clips visit Groundhog Day utube. For more Woodstock info visit Groundhog Day/Woodstock. For the Punxsutawney, PA site see Punxsutawney Groundhog Club. For folklore and background on Groundhog Day go to Farmers’Almanac Groundhog Day.

(Photo courtesy of Choose Chicago, the city’s tourism site)

Asian (Chinese) Lunar New Year 2024 Feb.10-25

Learn about the zodiac signs including yours, where the holiday is celebrated and where you can celebrate at Lunar New Year 2024/Animal, Dates and celebrations.

Although called Chinese New Year or Lunar New Year, the festival is also celebrated in other countries such as Vietnam and Korea.

Here, in the Chicago area, there are dragon parades and other events in a couple of neighborhoods such as Argyle Feb. 17 and Chinatown Feb. 18, plus lots of red decorations (for good luck) in Asian restaurants. This year is the Year of the Dragon.

nfl-shield

Football’s Superbowl Sunday Feb 11, 2024

The event will be at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, but the game doesn’t matter unless you are a fan of one of the teams. But the commercials are usually worth watching. Check top 10 for 2023 on UTube to see what was good last year. Peanuts (the edible kind) and M and Ms were still around.

For Super Bowl LVIII info visit 2024 Super Bowl LVIII Sunday – When, Where & More – NFL.com

Springtime differs according to two groundhogs

Woodstock Willie predicts and early spring (J Jacobs photo.)

Of course, the US boasts different temps and climates but just looking at the east and central part of the country, spring was predicted differently by two famous groundhogs on Feb. 2, Groundhog Day.

Punxsutawney Phil in Pennsylvania saw his shadow so predicted six more weeks of winter.

But Woodstock Willy in Illinois, though reluctant to leave his home at first, didn’t see his shadow so whispered to his handler that spring will come early.

Both groundhogs (woodchucks) drew large crowds for their predictions and the activities their towns are hosting.

For more on Punxsutawney Phil, visit Groundhog Club. For Woodstock Willie visit Prognostication and for more on the movie filmed there see Groundhog Day.

Does January full moon mark middle of winter

January full moon is the Wolf Moon J Jacobs photo)

If you like taking photos of a full moon, get those cameras or cell phones ready Jan. 16 through Jan.18 to snap the first full moon of 2022.

Even though the moon at its fullest illumination Jan. 17 at 23.48 UTC (5:48 p.m. CST), it will appear full the day before and day after Jan. 17.

A newscaster mentioned that Jan. 17-18 marks a halfway point for winter. Well, that depends.

Meteorological winter started Dec. 1 and continues through the end of February because the meteorological seasons are divided into quarters of three months each. In the Northern Hemisphere meteorological spring is March, April May.

A sky watching site mentioned that the last full moon was Dec. 19, 2021, two days before the Northern Hemisphere’s December solstice. For 2022, astronomical winter began December 21, 2021 and ends at the Equinox, March 20, 2022. Time and Date has a calendar.

The astronomical calendar is based on the Earth’s rotation around the sun with seasons divided by two solstices and two equinoxes, determined by a combination of Earth’s tilt and the sun’s position over the equator.

Another feature of a full moon is its name. Folklore, typically based on animal behavior and crop cycles, calls the January full moon the Snow Moon, Hunger Moon and, most popularly, the Wolf Moon.

Animal behavior is also behind Groundhog Day. Just for fun, on Feb. 2, check out groundhog predictions of winter’s end from Punxsutawney Phil in Pennsylvania and Woodstock Willie in Woodstock, IL (where “Groundhog Day” was filmed).

For more information visit NASA Solar System Exploration and Time and Date.

Groundhog Day predictions differ

Groundhog Woodstock Willie predicts winter or early spring each year in Woodstock IL where the Groundhog Day movie was filmed. (Photo courtesy of Woodstock)

Experts predicted that Kansas would win the super bowl this year and they were right. But what are the odds that two famous groundhogs (or woodchucks) have correctly predicted when winter will end?

Pretty good if you know that one of them is right.

After several days of gray gloom, the sun finally shone in northern Illinois Sunday, Feb. 2, the official Groundhog Day. That the sun shone and the weather was a balmy 51 degrees, good news for outdoor activities but bad news in Woodstock where Willie saw his shadow, wanted to go back to his dark hole and so predicted six more weeks of winter.

However, in Pennsylvania, Punxsutawne Phil didn’t see his shadow so stayed out and predicted an early spring.

However, loosely collected records show that Phil has had less than a 40 percent correct record and Willie has been right half the time.

Considering that local weather forecasters sometimes have trouble accurately predicting even a week away, maybe 50 percent isn’t bad.

See what the Farmers Almanac predicts for the Midwest/Great Lakes area.

Also see Groundhog Day relived

Good news this Groundhog Day

After the predition. (Photo courtesy of Woodstock Groundhog Organization) — After the prediction. (Photo courtesy of Woodstock Groundhog Organization)

Maybe the handlers of Punxsutawney Phil in Pennsylvania and Woodstock Willie in Illinois decided the Midwest and Northeast US deserved spring.

But whatever guideline they used from how cloudy it was when they woke their respective groundhogs early in the morning Feb. 2 when no shadow was seen, to possibly consulting the Farmers’ Almanac, they both announced an early spring for 2019.

Visit Groundhog for Phil and Woodstock for Willie to learn more about their history, town fun and predictions.

For the movie connection to Woodstock visit Where Groundhog Day was Filmed. It also has a link to the movie clips.

Woodstock Willie predicts more winter

The weather is supposed to get slightly warmer next week but don’t put away the heavy jacket yet.

Shortly after sunrise on Groundhog Day Feb. 2, 2017, Woodstock Willie saw his shadow and decided to return to his abode until spring comes.

Woodstock Willie saw his shadow on a sunny Feb. 2, 2017. Photo compliments of the Woodstock Groundhog organization

So at least Midwesterners should be prepared for six more weeks of chilling winter.

On the bright side, folks can visit Woodstock, IL where the movie, “Groundhog Day” was shot.

They can see the movie for free and tour the sites in the movie now through Feb. 5. (The Woodstock site is down this morning, Feb. 2 but try it later).

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the filming. Next year the town celebrates the 25th anniversary of the film’s release in 1993.

Co-written by Ramis and Danny Rubin, the film has Pittsburg TV weatherman Phil Connors (Bill Murray) trying to cover Groundhog Day when he gets stuck in a time warp.

Also starring Andie MacDowell as news producer Rita Hanson and Chris Elliott as cameraman Larry, the “Groundhog Day” supposedly takes place in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.

However, with the exception of a couple of opening and highway shots to set a sense of place, it really was filmed in the cute, countryside town of Woodstock, IL Ramis had been searching for a site within a day’s drive of his Winnetka home.

Unfortunately for easterners. Punxsutawney Phil also saw his shadow in Pennsylvania so it looks like Spring is not on the way.

The groundhog prediction legend emigrated from Europe where farmers thought spring was coming if they saw badgers.

Three winter events within an hour’s drive of Chicago

Snap pictures of gorgeous snow sculptures. Relive Groundhog Day. Imagine yourself behind the wheel of a sharp new vehicle. All three possibilities will brighten February days. So, post the one you love on the calendar.

Wisconsin 1 by Milwaukee team of Dave Andrews, Gina Dilbirti and Zach Ruezter won the National Snow Sculpting Competition in Lake Geneva, 2016. Visit Lake Geneva photo — ‘Door Master’ by Milwaukee team of Dave Andrews, Gina Dilbirti and Zach Ruezter won the National Snow Sculpting Competition in Lake Geneva, 2016. Visit Lake Geneva photo

Lake Geneva Winterfest

The National Snow Sculpting competition takes over Lake Geneva’s lake front Feb. 1 through Feb. 5, 2017.

But the town’s Winterfest’s fun events such as a Cocoa Crawl, visiting Baker House’s Ice Bar, Maxwell Mansion’s tours and activities at the Grand Geneva Resort continue through Feb. 12.

The snow sculptures are amazing. Each of the fifteen, three-member teams from across the U.S. transform tall snow cylinders into beautiful works of art.

The cylinders are typically delivered on Wednesday. By Friday night, the sculptures are gleaming in the moonlight ready to be judged on Saturday morning.

Wintervest visitors vote for a “People’s Champion.” The gold, silver and bronze categories are voted on by the sculptors based on creativity, technique and message.

Groundhog Day Festival

Walk the sites where Harold Ramis’ popular “Groundhog Day” film was shot in Woodstock, IL. The town is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the filming there from Feb. 1 through Feb. 5. But it will likely be celebrating again next year to mark the movie’s 25th anniversary of when it was released in 1993.

Co-written by Ramis and Danny Rubin, the film has Pittsburg TV weatherman Phil Connors (Bill Murray) trying to cover Groundhog Day when he gets stuck in a time warp.

Also starring Andie MacDowell as news producer Rita Hanson and Chris Elliott as cameraman Larry, the movie supposedly takes place in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. However, with the exception of a couple of opening and highway shots to set a sense of place, it really was filmed in the cute, countryside town of Woodstock. Ramis had been searching for a site within a day’s drive of his Winnetka home.

The film site tour and showings of the movie are free. If you go early enough (7 a.m.) on Groundhog Day, Feb. 2, you can see how Woodstock Willie reacts when he comes out of his tree trunk home. Pray for clouds so he doesn’t see his shadow. No shadow would mean an early spring if you believe this animal’s behavior predicts the weather.

Annual CAS draws a crowd at McCormick Place. CAD photo

Chicago Auto Show

CAS, the annual big introduction to what will officially be out for 2018, features about 1,000 vehicles and draws thousands of visitors.

In town Feb 11-17, it spreads across McCormick Place but with all those vehicles and visitors the best way to avoid the crowd crush is to go charity preview night.

The show starts off with a dressy charity party, Feb. 10. Its $275 ticket benefits 18 local charities but $222 can be tax deductable as a donation. Expect comp hors d’oeuvres, cocktails, entertainment and celebrities.

Regular tickets are $13 adults, $7 for seniors 62 and older and $7 children ages 7-12. Discounted ticket day is Feb. 15 when women pay $7.