Groundhog Day in full swing in Woodstock, including the musical on stage at Opera House

Groundhog Day festivities are in full swing in Woodstock, with the main prognostication to come Sunday morning. The weather is expected to be unseasonably warm – which probably has no bearing on whether Woodstock Willie will declare an early spring – and visitors can enjoy groundhog-related goodies and arts this weekend. Among the happenings:

‘Groundhog Day’ the musical debuts

“Groundhog Day,” an adaptation of the Woodstock-shot film in musical form, debuted Friday evening at the Woodstock Opera House. It’s the first time the musical has been performed locally, Opera House officials said.

This version of the musical is taking the stage inside the building that was known as the Pennsylvanian Hotel in the film. Theatre 121, the performing arts venue’s resident theater company, is putting on the show.

The venue’s front steps also serve as the starting point for the Groundhog Days walking tour. A movie-themed walking tour steps off at noon Sunday, according to the Groundhog Days website.

The musical also will be performed at 1 and 6 p.m. Sunday. The show continues on weekends through Feb. 16, and the public can buy tickets online: etix.com/ticket/e/1045697/t121-202425-season-woodstock-woodstock-opera-house.

Where to eat Sunday morning

For those coming to Woodstock on Sunday morning – the big event starts at 6:30 a.m. on the Square – to see if Woodstock Willie condemns us to six more weeks of winter, local restaurants have you covered if you also want to catch breakfast in town.

Here’s where you can grab a bite in and near the Square:

• Squire on the Square, 101 N. Johnson St. The restaurant is celebrating its first Groundhog Day with a breakfast buffet. Doors open at 6 a.m., and the eatery also is hosting the “Drink to World Peace” shortly after the prognostication. It’s a stop on the Groundhog Days walking tour.
• Mary’s Mexican Grill, 108 Cass St., plans to be open at 7 a.m. Sunday for breakfast. The restaurant was the site of the “Tip Top Cafe” in the movie.
• Corner Square Cafe, 117 E. Van Buren St. The eatery across the street from the Opera House is opening an hour earlier at 6 a.m. and will close at 2 p.m. The restaurant is planning to have a more scaled-back breakfast menu.
• Cesaroni’s Cafe and Deli, 236 Main St. The restaurant will open a little after 7 a.m. Sunday and is offering a Gobbler’s Knob sandwich with maple-glazed turkey, havarti cheese, cranberry mayo, lettuce and onion. Drinks include a Rita’s Latte and Phil’s Mocha.
• D.C. Cobb’s, 226 Main St. The restaurant will serve breakfast from 7 to 11 a.m. Sunday, with a special groundhog menu including items such as “Punxsutawney Punch.” Reservations for D.C. Cobb’s can be made here for $20, which is a credit on your bill: shop.dccobbs.net/products/groundhogs-day-breakfast-at-d-c-cobbs-woodstock.
• J&G Pastries, 203 Main St. The bakery’s groundhog cookies and other themed treats will be back this year. The store will be open from 5:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.
• Benton Street Tap, 219 N. Benton St. The bar plans to open at 6 a.m. Sunday and have $1 coffee to go, free Casey’s breakfast pizza and $3 bloody Marys, according to its Facebook page.
• A breakfast buffet at The Loft at Ethereal, 140 Cass St. Tickets are $30 and can be purchased here: tickets.eventsatethereal.com/product/groundhogs-day-breakfast-2-2/1044?cp=true&sa=true&sbp=false&q=false
• La Vie en Rose, 110 N. Benton St., will open at 7 a.m. Sunday and offer some groundhog-themed treats.

A full list of suggestions of places to eat in Woodstock during the festivities can be found at the Woodstock Groundhog Days website: woodstockgroundhog.org/where-to-eat.

The Moose Lodge is hosting the sold-out Groundhog Breakfast on Sunday morning, while a Kegs and Eggs event is happening over at Ortmann’s Red Iron Tavern.

Groundhog Day forecast

The National Weather Service is predicting that the high Sunday will be a balmy-for-February 49 degrees, although people gathered early on the Square for the prognostication can expect cooler temperatures.

David King, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Romeoville, said the temperature at 7 a.m., close to when the prognostication takes place, will be about 37 degrees.

The record high for the date in Rockford, where the weather service keeps records, is 52 degrees, which was set in 1987, King said. The high in Rockford is forecast to be about 49 to 50 degrees Sunday.

The weather will “certainly be above normal,” King said. Wind speeds are set to be about 10 mph Sunday, with gusts as high as 20 mph, according to the weather service.

Flood risks are on the table for portions of the Chicago region. The ground is pretty frozen, which makes it tough for rainwater to get into the ground, King said. As of Friday, no flood reports had been sent in to the weather service from McHenry County, King said.

Last year, the groundhog predicted an early spring and was mostly correct except for a late March snowstorm.