While the world watches a famous groundhog give a weather prediction in Western Pennsylvania on the morning of Groundhog Day, one up-and-coming star will be celebrated in Lackawanna County.
“This was a dream not too long ago,” said Matt Catanzaro, founder and president of Jessup Groundhog Day.
He said he always wanted to go to the event in Punxsutawney, a Feb. 2 tradition since the 1880s, but he never had the chance.
“Then one day we said, “Why don’t we just do it ourselves?’” he said.
Except the critter to watch in Jessup won't be a groundhog, but a ferret.
In just a few weeks, the idea has grown into a promising family event, garnering community involvement and interest beyond Northeast Pennsylvania for the debut appearance of Jessup Giuseppe.
Jessup Groundhog Day
Catanzaro started the process by recruiting two founding fathers — Mike McAndrew, owner of Three Saints Barber Shop, and Jim Salus, who bartends with Catanzaro at Jak's Pub & Eatery.
“One of the things that motivated us was that it just happens to be Jessup’s quincentennial,” McAndrew said. “It’s our 150th anniversary. So this is the first community Jessup event of the year.”
They quickly got local businesses involved and recruited a dozen more founding fathers.
"There will be a ceremony of sorts where every founding father has a role," Catanzaro said.
The prognostication will take place at Station Park, where vendors will sell food items and the Jessup 21st Century Club will offer free hot chocolate.
Brass Storm, a five-piece brass band, will perform at the park and there will be free top hats for kids.
"[The event] is growing leaps and bounds," Salus said. "It's amazing the people of this town ... and it's an honor to be part of this."
An afterparty is planned for Jak's Pub & Eatery and a second afterparty is happening at the St. Ubaldo Society Chapel.
Jessup Groundhog Day is Sunday, Feb 1st at 8 a.m., one day before Punxsutawney Phil gives his prediction.
Who is Jessup Giuseppe?
“The groundhog that lives under my porch has not been very cooperative,” McAndrew said of their quest for a creature to predict the weather.
Of course, an animal is necessary for this event. But they learned that groundhogs are hard to tame.
“And then Jim announced to us that he has a ferret,” Catanzaro said.
“As it turns out, there happens to be a magical, whimsical creature living right here in Jessup," McAndrew said.
Giuseppe is a four-year-old resident of Jessup owned by Taylor Fetcho.
Described as bubbly and funny, the ferret is squirmy and small. Fetcho is not sure how the pet will do with a crowd of spectators.
"I'm sure he's honored to be Jessup Giuseppe and to launch this tradition," she said.
Peculiar prognosticators
Giuseppe isn’t the only one who will be providing a local forecast.
Punxsutawney Phil has inspired towns all over the world to start their own quirky celebration around an unsuspecting animal.
JESSUP GROUNDHOG DAY EVENTS
Sun., Feb. 1
● Ceremony - 8 a.m.
Station Park, 103 Church St., Jessup
● After party - 9 a.m.
Jak's Pub & Eatery, 410 4th Ave., Jessup
● After-after party - 1 p.m.
Saint Ubaldo Society Chapel, 310 3rd Ave., Jessup
Waffles the Porcupine is in Colorado, Juno the Polar Bear is in Toronto and a chicken named Cluxatawney Henrietta in New York will lay an egg if she predicts an early spring.
A Schuylkill County event with a taxidermied groundhog couple focuses on the Pennsylvania Dutch origins of the holiday.
According to Countdown to Groundhog Day, a website that tracks Groundhog Day events and forecasters, this is the first prognostication event in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area. And the first one with a ferret.
The founding fathers hope Jessup Groundhog Day will become the borough’s second most popular event, next to St. Ubaldo Day.
The group is asking for anyone who wants to get involved to reach out to their Facebook page.
"We have people reaching out to us from Maryland and Delaware," McAndrew said. "We don't know how big or how small thing is going to be... if it's ten people or it's a thousand, we are ready for fun."
"The world is a crazy place right now and I think we need a little bit of fun," Catanzaro said. "And this is just good old fashioned fun, I think for years to come as well."
