Submitted by Least_Firefighter639 t3_10ud0wy in Pennsylvania
I am from south Australia (Australia 🇦🇺 ) And yes that is the state name and yes we are real not paid actors ( i say this as i been asked them the most )
It was late when phil came out of gobers nob did anything interesting happened after he said 6 more weeks? Or did people just go home after that?
No drinking allowed on the Knob.
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But did they drink on the knob, or did they show up loaded?
I know the time I went, we were at PSU, many rather loaded, but someone had worked late and was sober, drove us over. I don't recall drinking much more there, but I did have a flask, and I wasn't being open about it.
and after?
You might be able to sneak a sip on the bus ride back to your car. “This is a family event.”
In my experience (mid to late 90's) Ground hog day in Punxsy starts at 10p the night before. We have a few drinks at home or a bar then head out to Gobblers Knob. We spend all night standing in the cold drinking and whatnot...listening to music, dancing, howling at the moon and just having fun. In the morning they open the fake tree stump and pull the groundhog out (the one they put in there 20 minutes earlier) and tell us the prediction. By that time you want to go home. Your cold and tired and your buzz has worn off. Maybe you get breakfast then go to bed. It was fun, I remember a lot of people climbing and falling out of trees, maybe that's why they cracked down on drinking. Idk. I would say maybe 2k people, I think it's better attended now and a little more family oriented, but I haven't been there in almost 30 years.
Perfect summary for my trip in mid-00's as well (busses too). I was not the designated driver so it was VERY fun!
I’m kind of surprised you guys in Australia even know about this lol. You think that is mostly due to the movie? For the record we all know it isn’t real we just all decided we would pretend it is. But yes, lots of drinking. Australians would fit in perfectly.
I think it is mildly funny that among many thing Americans get the reputation for being bad at geography. There is probably some truth to that but I knew South Australia was a state. The other day in a different sub someone was from Belgium and was trying to explain where it was like “a small country in Western Europe between Netherlands and France.” I’m thinking “have people not heard of Belgium before?” 🤦🏻♂️😆
I live in Pittsburgh, about 90 minutes away. For at least 40 years I've been thinking I should go up there for Groundhog Day at least once. Then the reality of late January sets in and I think; "Do I really want to be up there in the dark and 15° weather for a 15 minute show?" and the answer is always the same. So I stay home and watch it on the morning news.
They livestream it now on youtube starting pretty early, there's more then enough coverage for a person to get slightly bored and start muting all of the musical acts. The fireworks and drones were cool though.
To get a feel for the vibe, watch the movie “Ground Hog Day.”
You learn some harsh lessons in life. There aren't TWELVE apostles and the groundhog doesn't actually talk or predict anything. It's a show for the tourists. With all of the TV lights, there is no way for a rodent to predict the future these days.
Punxsutawney is as official as ours.
Everyone went downtown to “The Burrow” and started drinking. Many are still recovering.
I can't believe that someone from Australia is fascinated by a pointless tradition where they grab a groundhog from a cage and hold it up in the air under a ton of lights to see if he sees his shadow. All this to "predict" if we will have 6 more weeks of winter or not even though we will still have 6 weeks of winter because spring is 6 weeks away. It is just a big party.
Also it is Gobblers Knob.
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Phil is actually from Gobbler’s Knob. No joke.
I grew up 20 mins from there. Never once went. Punxsy was just the closest Walmart and we would go to look at sheds every once in a while. I did eat at the Taco Bell there the day of my wedding and have been to the bowling lanes there. For those of us around it, it’s nothing special
I went to university about half hour away, but never actually got the chance to go.
I almost had the chance once. A group of my Fraternity Brothers randomly decided they wanted to head out at like midnight or so... Unfortunately I was on duty (working as an RA) & had to stay in the dorm till 7am so I wasn't able to jump in the car and head out ...
I grew up near Punxsy and went exactly one time. Would never go again or recommend it to anyone.
Flimsy-Lie-1471 t1_j7b41v5 wrote
It's pretty much an excuse for day drinking.