CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Organizers of this weekend's Groundhog Days festival in Woodstock are breathing a sigh of relief that dangerous cold will be out-of-town for most of the scheduled events.
Woodstock was used for the filming of the movie Groundhog Day. The town celebrates that every Feb. 2.
Milder weather is predicted for Saturday, leading Groundhog Days chairman Rick Bellairs said, "We dodged a bullet. Thank you, Mother Nature."
The only event that will be impacted by the Polar Vortex is Thursday night when the festival kicks off. The Awakening of the Groundhog will be held inside the Woodstock Opera House Thursday night at 6 p.m., instead of outside. That's an event where the mascot Woodstock Willie first makes an appearance at the festival.
According to Bellairs, "tonight we moved it indoors because it's just too darn cold to stand out in the street. Following The Awakening, we have Groundhog trivia."
Groundhog Days chairman Rick Bellairs said Steven Tobolowsky, the actor who portrayed the annoying insurance salesman Ned Ryerson will be on hand for the festival this weekend in Woodstock.
For more information about Woodstock's Groundhog Days, go to WoodstockGroundhog.org.
