The Inaugural BEN FM Ground Hog Day Bus Trip
Punxsutawney or bust. We did it! The Inaugural BEN FM Ground Hog Day Bus Trip happened on February 2nd, and it was a big success (if we do say so…
It’s not every day that you get to see the President of the Ground Hog Club Inner Circle in person. This man can speak to ground hogs. Well, he can interpret Phil’s Groundhogese anyway. He listens to Phil’s prognostication and translates via scrolls whether there will be 6 more weeks of winter or an early spring. It’s a whole thing. You’ll love it. Join us next year for the 2nd Annual BEN FM Ground Hog Day Bus Trip.
Kristen Herrmann for BBGIPunxsutawney or bust. We did it! The Inaugural BEN FM Ground Hog Day Bus Trip happened on February 2nd, and it was a big success (if we do say so ourselves).
A bus trip full of BEN FM listeners out to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania for Ground Hog Day has been a dream of ours for a few years now, and this year it happened!
Making a Plan
We'd attempted the trip on our own last year, just to see how the logistics would work (photos HERE). It was FREEZING. 14 degrees without factoring in the windchill. We froze our faces off and Phil predicted 6 more weeks of winter that year, but we still had a really great time. We were onto something. Looking ahead to 2024, we saw that Ground Hog Day fell on a Friday. Perfect. We partnered with Boscov's Travel to coordinate the bus and hotel stays, and in late November we advertised the trip on BEN FM. Here's where we started to doubt the plan. Would ANYONE want to go? Boy, did they.
2024 BEN FM Ground Hog Day Bus Trip Participants
The 2024 BEN to Punxsutawney bus trip sold out in less than 3 weeks, with a waiting list. We were officially headed to the Weather Capital of the World to see Punxsutawney Phil give his prognostication live. The bus left on Thursday, February 1st at 10am from the station parking lot here in Bala Cynwyd with 52 other 'weather enthusiasts'. The group was great too. Easy going, kind (one couple even brought wine for everyone), and all were ready for an adventure.
The Bus Ride
For the ride to and from Punxsutawney we watched the Bill Murray movie Ground Hog Day over and over and over. We added in a bunch of trivia for prizes throughout, and as you might have guessed, the more we watched the movie, the harder the trivia became. We're all experts now. We drove most of the way out to Punxsutawney on Thursday, but stopped about 50 minutes out in Clearfield, PA. This is where we grabbed some dinner and stayed overnight. We're using the word 'overnight' lightly. After what seemed like a few hours sleep, we climbed back onto the bus at 2:30am and headed to Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania to be there for Phil's big moment.
Ground Hog Day at 'The Knob'
The weather at Gobbler's Knob was perfect this year for Ground Hog Day. No snow or rain or even wind. The temperature was in the upper 30's, which was WAY more comfortable than last year's 14 degrees. The word got out about the weather this year too. The crowd was so much bigger, with some 40,000 people up there "on the Knob" dancing and singing and holding signs while waiting to see Phil. After fireworks, a live band, dancers and about 4 hours of entertainment, Phil did emerge from his burrow, right around sunrise. He spoke Groundhogese to members of the Ground Hog Club Inner Circle, and he let us know his prognostication, our fate for the next 6 weeks... an EARLY SPRING!!! Now the trip was truly perfect.
We celebrated at the town's Barclay Square with food and a festival, and began our drive back toward Bala Cynwyd by 3pm. Again, watching Ground Hog Day over and over on the bus ride home.
Mark your calendars for next year. We're doing it again. Join us Saturday, February 1st into Sunday, February 2nd for the 2nd Annual BEN FM Ground Hog Day Bus Trip, 2025. A weekend too! BEN FM will be there. Will you?
~ Kristen
BEN FM Ground Hog Day Bus Trip
Photo by Kara Lester for BBGIHere's the group of people we traveled with to Punxsutawney. In this group we had 6 (SIX!) people celebrating a birthday on February 2nd, Ground Hog Day. We had a couple celebrating an anniversary, a retirement, and LOTS of Ground Hog Day (the movie) fans. The group was happy and fun and easy going throughout. Many already committed to joining in the fun again next year.
BEN FM Ground Hog Day Bus Trip
Photo by Kara Lester for BBGIThe crowd this year at Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney on Ground Hog Day was one of the largest ever. Everyone enjoyed live music, dancing, fireworks and more entertainment from 3am until just after sunrise (7:30am or so) when Phil came out. The time went fast, which was helped by the perfect weather. This year was a bit warmer than usual, and way more comfortable. The crowd was rumored to be around 40,000 people this year. Next year will likely be even bigger, as Ground Hog Day falls over a weekend in 2025.
BEN FM Ground Hog Day Bus Trip
Kristen Herrmann for BBGIThe crowd up at Gobbler's Knob is the best part. Celebrating Ground Hog Day in Punxsutawney should be on everyone's bucket list. It's pure joy. The people watching is pretty great too. This outfit is perfect for the cold weather on February 2nd. The warmer the better with this trip. Layers are the way to go.
BEN FM Ground Hog Day Bus Trip
Kristen Herrmann for BBGIPunxsutawney Phil doesn't actually live in the hut at Gobbler's Knob. That's just used for the big Ground Hog Day Prognostication. A member of the Inner Circle knocks on the door with his cane three times, and that signals to Phil that it's time to come out. The rest of the year he can be found in his burrow at the town library, or driving two and from town events and parades in his Phil-mobile. He lives with his wife Phyllis and you can visit and watch them through a glass window. They're very cute.
BEN FM Ground Hog Day Bus Trip
Kristen Herrmann for BBGIPhil is obviously the main attraction up at Gobbler's Knob. Nowhere else will you see such a large collection of ground hog themed merchandise and signs and enthusiasm. People really go all out. There are elaborate ground hog hats and coordinated outfits and many photo opportunities too. People come from all over the world. A mother/daughter duo from Australia even performed this year up on stage. They sang an ABBA medley with all the lyrics changed to the Ground Hog theme. It was amazing.
BEN FM Ground Hog Day Bus Trip
Kristen Herrmann for BBGIAfter the official prognostication, the party heads from Gobbler's Knob to the town's Barclay Square. It's located right next to Punxsutawney Phil's year-round home. He lives with his wife Phyllis in a burrow in the town library. The Ground Hog Day festival at Barclay Square has live music, food and vendors. Some of the tables have ice sculptures, face painting, and wood carving demonstrations. They also offer free s'mores and Samuel Adams sponsors the beer every year and offers a complimentary beer to those 21+.
