On the frigid first morning of February, Jessup’s forecasting ferret drew a crowd of hundreds for a morning of tomfoolery, marking a new tradition in the Lackawanna County borough.
Jessup Groundhog Day brought locals, out-of-towners and even out-of-state visitors to the borough Sunday for a celebration modeled after the 139-year-old tradition in Punxsutawney, Pa.
“I can't even express how shocked I was when I saw the amount of people that were here,” said Michael Cappellini, one of several founding fathers behind the new annual event. "I was honored beyond belief to be a founding father, and I look forward to being here when I'm 95."
Jessup Giuseppe and Punxsutawney Phil ended up at odds about the forecast, however.
PREDICTIONS ABOUND
As the Associated Press reported, there are at least 100 Groundhog Day events around North America. The early results on Monday indicated a split verdict, with the AP noting that Giuseppe was among those calling for an early spring.
The local ferret predicted an early spring for Northeast Pennsylvania. The groundhog from Gobbler’s Knob in western Pennsylvania contradicted that Monday, predicting six more weeks of wintry weather.
No matter. Those gathered in Jessup went wild for Giuseppe, a furry family pet. Organizers estimate up to 400 people attended the celebration at Station Park.
'Just a whole lot of fun'
Jessup Groundhog Day was an idea that was first seen by some as ridiculous, according to founder and president Matt Catanzaro.
But he gathered a group of men willing to don top hats and call themselves founding fathers. Add a brass band and a small creature, and they had a plan.
Curt Camoni, a Jessup borough councilman, was one of more than a dozen men asked by the organizers to be a founding father.
“They're crazy and nutty and talented and funny, and as soon as I started talking to them, I knew it was going to be really good for the community,” he said. “It brought a lot of people into Jessup. It's going to have people at our restaurants, bring economic impact and just a whole lot of fun, bring everybody together.”
Local restaurants offered Groundhog Day themed specials for breakfast while after parties were held elsewhere. Vendors also set up in the park offering hot chocolate and collecting pantry items.
For Jessup resident Suzanne Goddard, the event brought the fun of Groundhog Day much closer to home.
“We always talked about … it’d be so great to go to Punxsutawney, but that’s a ride and a half,” Goddard said of the Jefferson County community, which is over 220 miles away.
“To have something local is definitely amazing,” Goddard said.
Giuseppe's big moment
The crowd was kept entertained with jokes and music throughout the morning as they waited for the honorary forecaster to make his debut.
"You don't get this kind of entertainment in Archbald, do you?" Catanzaro joked.
Jessup Giuseppe, a four-year-old ferret living in the borough, is owned by Jim Salus, another founding father.
Salus presented the ferret to the crowd before the million dollar moment, which differed from what happens in Punxsutawney.
There, Phil emerges from his slumber and if he sees his shadow that predicts six more weeks of winter — as his handlers announce to the crowd by reading from one of two scrolls.
Jessup Giuseppe was placed before ceremonial offerings of green and red grapes with a scroll next to each bunch. The chosen bunch of grapes determines which scroll is read.
Mike McAndrew is the honorable scroll reader and co-organizer of the event.
“Out pops he in frosted air, eyes the grapes and picks with care,” McAndrew read from the scroll. “With one side glance the verdict’s clear: White grape grins, springtime’s near.”
Aiming to be Jessup's second-largest event
“To pull this off in a couple weeks ... Truly unbelievable,” founding father Scott Hall said.
Hall is president of the Saint Ubaldo Society, which organizes La Festa dei Ceri, a local tradition that's more than 100 years old.
While Pennsylvania Lottery spokesman Gus the Groundhog claims to be the second most famous groundhog in Pennsylvania, it's safe to say Giuseppe is the most popular ferret around.
But Catanzaro and others hope Jessup Groundhog Day will become the borough’s second most popular event next to St. Ubaldo Day.
Capellini is an organizer of the Italian tradition that brings nearly 20,000 people to Jessup every May.
“To have an organization that brings something to people in the winter is imperative,” he said. “Everybody waits and waits. So now we have this.”
Camoni called Giuseppe's debut event "a great proof of concept."
“Everyone's going to walk out of here, tell their friends [and] next year it'll be even bigger, and people look back at the day they braved the cold for the inaugural Groundhog Day and tell their kids about it, because this will be an every year thing,” Camoni said.
"This is going to put Jessup on the map for the second time," Cappellini added. "Next year, hopefully we have double or triple the people."
