ONLINE: Sun Prairie Groundhog Day
Feb 2, 2021 7:00 AM
January 20, 2021
Jimmy the Groundhog greets his fans at the 2020 Sun Prairie Groundhog Day event.
It turns out that Groundhog Day is less a day than a state of mind, evidenced, of course, in the classic Bill Murray film of 1993 in which he keeps reliving the day until he finally gets it right. It s also evidenced in Sun Prairie by the fact that its festivities run from Jan. 29 through the day itself, Feb. 2. There s a scavenger hunt for pictures of Jimmy the Groundhog throughout the town. Area merchants are featuring a number of specials and Cannery Wine Bar and Tasting Room is giving away bottles of Jimmy Juice which, since you must be 21 + to get it, figures to be alcoholic. But move over Punxsutawney Phil, the real fun comes on Feb. 2 at 7 am when Jimmy comes out to predict the rest of this winter s weather. Tune into the special broadcast via local cable (TDS Channel 1013 or Charter Channel 983), Roku or Apple TV apps
Jimmy the Groundhog predicts spring s arrival every year in Sun Prairie
SUN PRAIRIE, Wis. The City of Sun Prairie is holding a virtual ceremony to celebrate the 73rd annual Sun Prairie Groundhog Day Prognostication.
A news release said the ceremony will start at 7 a.m. on Feb. 2., with Jimmy the Groundhog making his prediction at sunrise.
Jimmy’s built a reputation for being one wise woodchuck, as city officials say he “has an extremely high accuracy rate on his annual predictions, making him an outstanding leader in meteorological circles.” His keen eye and perceptive snoot will determine whether we have an early spring or extended winter.
Staff at the Sun Prairie Media Center were saddened recently to learn a key figure in the formation of KIDS-4, the local cable channel that has featured programming for kids by kids since the 1970s, has passed away.
Mary Dorothy âMarieliâ Rowe died on Dec. 13, 2020, at the age of 94 following a battle with cancer. Rowe was born on Aug. 13, 1926 in Bonn, Germany, eventually moving with her family first to Switzerland and then to New York City. After getting married in 1949, Rowe and her husband moved to Boulder, Colo., and then to Madison in 1957.
It was after the move to Madison that Rowe became interested in the relatively new medium of television, joining the Wisconsin Association for Better Broadcasts, a group dedicated to helping people understand televisionâs effect on youth.