Statue of – what else? – a groundhog to debut on Woodstock Square

A groundhog statue and bench is coming to the Woodstock Square, close to the bandstand where Woodstock Willie prognosticates each Feb. 2 and the site of “Gobbler’s Knob” in the “Groundhog Day” movie famously shot in town.

The sculpture, which is being commissioned and funded by the Woodstock Groundhog Days Committee, is set to go along the Square’s east-west sidewalk, close to the entrance across the street from the Old Courthouse, according to Woodstock records.

The public art is envisioned to be a log that people will be able to sit on, with a groundhog perched on top of the log, according to a rendering included in city records.

“Groundhog Day, we think, should be much more than just Feb. 2,” Rick Bellairs, who chairs Woodstock’s Groundhog Days festivities, told the City Council before members voted to approve the sculpture.

Bellairs credited Pam Moorhouse for having the idea for the statue before Bellairs joined the Groundhog Days committee. Bellairs said the statue would be a good photo op for a social media-driven world.

Erik Blome, who is based in Woodstock, is the artist behind the sculpture.

Blome has had his studio in Woodstock for years, but this is the first project in town he’s worked on. He said it was “kind of cool” and connects him to the town.

Blome’s studio is within walking distance of the Woodstock Square, and he said he had come up with a few sketches, including one that was a stump. But he developed something a little more horizontal in the log, which people liked.

The log is expected to be large enough to seat two people, with the groundhog in the center. Blome said he’s done a lot of seated figures and likes to sculpt animals, but a groundhog on a log is new for him. He said he wanted to make the groundhog endearing.

“It’ll be fun,” Blome said.

The committee is responsible for commissioning, funding and installing the statue, and then it will be donated to the city, which will be responsible for maintenance, according to city material.

Will it be ready in time for Groundhog Day 2026? With a turnaround time of eight to 10 months, Bellairs said it was “possible,” but he recognized the deadline would be tight.

The City Council gave the thumbs-up to the statue Tuesday evening. Council member Melissa McMahon recused herself from the vote since she is on the Groundhog Days committee.

After the council approved the statue, someone from the audience said “Bing!” – the catchphrase of character Ned Ryerson in the film. Ryerson was played by Stephen Tobolowsky, who was the special guest at this year’s Groundhog Days celebration.