Groundhog Day in PA: Punxsutawney Phil Predicts Six More Weeks of Wintry Weather

PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa., Feb. 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Brace yourself for six more weeks of wintry weather: Punxsutawney Phil, Pennsylvania's world-famous prognosticating groundhog, saw his shadow when he emerged this morning from his burrow on Gobbler's Knob in Jefferson County.

Thousands of loyal fans braved an early morning chill to witness Punxsutawney Phil's 124th Groundhog Day appearance, which annually attracts up to 30,000 visitors to the Pennsylvania Wilds region.

Groundhog Day is celebrated each Feb. 2 in Punxsutawney, about 80 miles northeast of Pittsburgh. According to folklore, if the groundhog emerges in the early morning and does not see his shadow, there will be an early spring. If he sees his shadow, six more weeks of wintry weather are expected.

"We are bundled up and ready for more winter in Pennsylvania," said Mickey Rowley, deputy secretary of tourism in the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. "In addition to a longer skiing and winter sports season, we have a full slate of art and film festivals that will cure the most severe cases of cabin fever."

Here are a few samples of what Pennsylvania has in store for travelers during the remaining six weeks of winter:

• Groundhog Trail Wine Festival, Feb. 6, Clearfield - Taste the treasures of the Groundhog Wine Trail Festival at the Clearfield County fairgrounds. Attendees are invited to take part in the new amateur wine making contest and sample the signature wines of the Pennsylvania Wilds. The event includes live music and an appearance by Punxsutawney Phil. Proceeds benefit local charities. www.groundhogwinetrail.com
• Seventh Annual Heart of Lewisburg Ice Festival, Feb. 6 - Sparkling ice art by award-winning sculptors welcomes visitors to downtown Lewisburg. Beautiful historic homes, tree-lined and lamp-lit streets and a distinctive downtown shopping district provide the perfect backdrop to the Heart of Lewisburg Ice Festival. www.lewisburgpa.com
• Snowshoeing Saturdays, Feb. 6, 13, 20, Erie - Learn the basics of snowshoeing and enjoy a winter hike at Asbury Woods Nature Center. Lessons will be provided by Nature Center naturalists; snowshoes provided. www.asburywoods.org
• International Chainsaw Carvers Rendezvous, Feb. 20-27, Ridgway - Each year, hundreds of chainsaw carvers from across the country gather in Ridgway to share their art and skill with the public to raise money for charities. Since 2000, this event in the heart of the Pennsylvania Wilds has delighted thousands with chainsaw competitions, safety classes, and carving displays. www.chainsawrendezvous.org
• Picasso and the Avant-Garde in Paris, Feb. 24-April 25, Philadelphia - Escape the winter chill at the Philadelphia Museum of Art as it hosts Picasso and the Avant-Garde in Paris. The exhibit pulls from the museum's own collection and those on loan as they reveal the decades between 1905 and 1945 – the period some consider to be Picasso's most productive and influential. www.philamuseum.org

The Pennsylvania Tourism Office, under the state Department of Community and Economic Development, is dedicated to inspiring travel to the State of Independence. For more information, go to visitPA.com or call (800) VISIT PA; become a fan at facebook.com/visitPA, follow us at twitter.com/visitPA, share photos at flickr.com/visitPA, or watch us on youtube.com/visitPA. For a free subscription to Pursuits Magazine, go to visitPA.com/pursuits.

Media contact: Michael Chapaloney, 717-720-1301

Editor's Note: For additional Pennsylvania tourism story ideas, follow us at www.twitter.com/patourismpr.

SOURCE Pennsylvania Tourism Office