Groundhog Day in Brooklyn
Get ready for Punxsutawney Will! This Saturday, a crowd of hipsters in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, is gearing up to find out if winter will stick around for another six weeks. A groundhog will be making its predictions while whispering in the ear of former mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa at McCarren Park.
This event, which is happening before the official Groundhog Day on February 2, is organized by 26-year-old Riley Callanan. She’s rented the groundhog from an animal service, spending $2,250 in the process.
Last year, Callanan tried something different by presenting a black-tailed prairie dog as a groundhog for the festivities. It turned out to be a hit, attracting about 500 attendees and transforming the day into an unexpected bar-hopping adventure.
“We asked attendees to suggest names for the groundhog last year, and Wolfgang was the winner,” Callanan shared. “Unless there’s a major uprising, Wolfgang it is!”
So far, well over 1,400 people have RSVP’d for this quirky Brooklyn-style celebration, with more than 600 others showing interest as of Thursday evening. The event is organized through an app called Patiful.
Sliwa expressed his excitement despite not topping the Williamsburg votes. He noted, “Millennials and a lot of Gen Z are working hard to keep this tradition going, and I want to encourage that.” However, he’s clear about wanting to avoid any mishaps, particularly a repeat of an unfortunate incident involving a previous groundhog’s demise.
“I know I’m not the best at handling groundhogs,” Sliwa admitted. “I’m just here to see if it sees my shadow. I won’t make a blunder like Bill de Blasio did!”
The festivities kick off at noon at Spritzenhaus33, where Riley will distribute $5 wristbands to participants. Later, everyone will gather in the park for a 2 PM ceremony, followed by a local bar crawl featuring popular spots like Craik, Lay’s, and Good Bar. Callanan gets a portion of the sales from wristband-wearing customers.
Organizing the event isn’t cheap; Callanan revealed that securing permits, a live groundhog, staging, and equipment cost around $3,000. “If everything goes smoothly, we’ll definitely do this again next year. If not, well, I’ll learn a valuable lesson about spending,” she said.
Reflecting on Groundhog Day’s charm, Callanan said, “It’s a pure holiday that shows up when everything feels very dark. It might seem silly — it could easily be forgotten — but people still cherish the tradition.”
She also expressed her curiosity about how the memory of Staten Island Chuck’s unfortunate passing will play out. “I’m ready for this city to heal,” she added.
