Mike Wolanin | The Republic Utopia Wildlife Rehabilitators founder Kathy Hershey holds Hope the groundhog as she makes her weather prediction during the annual Groundhog Day ceremony on the Hope Town Square in Hope, Ind., Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022. Hope predicted an early Spring.
HOPE — Some visitors who watch the Groundhog Day celebration in Hope have said they might like to go to the more well-known three-day event near Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.
But as one-of-state visitor said last year, “Hope, Indiana may be the closest to Punxsutawney I’ll ever get.”
The Groundhog Day ceremony in front of the bandstand in the Hope Town Square will take place Thursday, which is Groundhog Day traditionally observed on Feb. 2.
Music and congregating begins at 8 a.m., and Hope, the nearly 3-year-old prognosticating groundhog, will be brought out at 8:30 a.m. The groundhog’s prediction of whether there will be six more weeks of winter is announced during the Hope ceremony.
There’s plenty of free parking around the Hope Town Square. And if weather conditions warrant it, the entire 10-minute event can be quickly moved to the shelter house as it was last year.
A group of Hope residents dressed in 19th century garb and known as “Hope’s Helpers” will preside over this year’s ceremony.
For anyone worried about how Hope the groundhog will be surprised with the Groundhog Day events, organizers said she is very protectively handled at all times by a staff member of Utopia Wildlife. This year, Hope’s handler will be Utopia education coordinator Beth White.
The northeast Bartholomew County ceremony always begins with a command from one of Hope’s Helpers:
“Awake from your slumber and tell us the news. If your shadow you see, six more weeks of the blues. If no shadow in sight, then we shall rejoice. Spring will be soon. Oh, tell us your choice.”
The groundhog “whispers” her prediction to White, who will then inform a member of the group that makes the official proclamation.
At least two other Groundhog Day celebrations are held in Indiana. One takes place at the Wildcat Creek Wildlife Center in Delphi, while the other is held at Silly Safaris in Indianapolis.
But the Hope celebration is gaining popularity due to the Indianapolis TV news coverage that depicts the old-fashioned ambiance and small-town pride, Hope Helper and town librarian David Miller said.
“It is a picture-perfect event for us,” Miller said in an earlier interview. “I think it dovetails so nicely with promoting Hope as a charming little town. And Groundhog Day provides a ‘step back in time’ mentality appreciated by so many in this complex world.”
