2024 Park Official Prognosticator of Spring (POPS), Cornelius P. Groundhog, made the prediction this morning at at 8:07!
IT’S AN EARLY SPRING!
Official schedule of the 2020 Groundhog Day celebrations released
The Department of Holidays, Festivals, and Celebrations (DHFC) has released the Official Schedule of the 2020 Groundhog Day Celebrations.
At a short press conference this morning, DHFC Director of Public Relations Aintza Kanariar said she was confident that this year’s lineup of performers, games, acts, and more will “more than please” Park residents.
“We’ve put together a very celebratory, yet serious event for what some consider to be the most important holiday of the year,” Kanariar said.
While the events will span the weekend, the official schedule is only for February 2, and only for those events that will take place at the Ancient Open-Air Theatre. Other venues, including The Burrow Theatre, The New Harmony Theatre, and The Howler Comedy Club, will announce their schedules separately.
Kanariar confirmed that the 2km tunnel race would go ahead as usual, but said nothing about it being broadcast. She would not comment on speculation that one of The Park’s technology companies was planning to livestream the event.
Kanariar also confirmed that, as happened last year, 2020 “spare,” Hannu Metsämurmeli, will be awakened at the same time as 2020 POPS, Ermentrude Murmeltier.
“Ermentrude and Hannu will be awakened simultaneously, and Hannu will be acknowledged during the post-prognostication ceremony. We want her to know we appreciate her contribution and her commitment to The Park,” Kanariar said.
Kanariar acknowledged last year’s the controversy over the two comedy sets that were scheduled. The results of a survey that she handed out to all attendees last year indicated that while Park Animals love their comedy and their comedians, they didn’t think that comedy sets were necessarily appropriate for Groundhog Day. As a result, the Department compromised and this year’s schedule includes only one short comedy set, by the University of West Terrier’s Official Comedian, Woodruff Dalmatio
Kanariar also noted, with pride, that this is the first year that the Working Wounded Performing Arts Company has made it into the official schedule.
The following musicians, among others, will participate in the event:
Polar Opposites
The Feral Four
The Canary Cousins
Spontaneous Generation
Les Chiens Débraillés
SCENTient Beings
Jargonhead
Persistent Sisters
The Cynics
Will.o.be
Memes of Production
Last Stand
Eggie and The Pigs
ZEAL
Inktvis and Krake
The All-Rodent Marching Band
The DomEstyx
The Beasts of Burden
BHR (Big Hearts Rule) formerly NIML (Not In My Lifetime)
Fish Rap
As is always the case, one of the most important aspects of the Groundhog Day celebrations will be the food. Renowned Chef Tab Triolore will reprise his “feral buffet” and supply delicious non-perishables from his grassRoutes restaurant. Other food purveyors include The Battering Ram Café, The Compost Heap, The Broop ‘n Miaow, The Draft, The Pound Gastropub, and The Cackling Goose Tavern. Mikko Tikkeri’s The Feeding Station will serve a full breakfast just after the Archons’ Address. Ants in Your Pantry and Provisions by Petrounel will send all attendees home with tasty party favours.
And, again, this year, food will be served for twenty-four hours straight.
“We’re going through from eight in the morning on the second [of February] until eight in the morning on the third,” Kanariar said.
And, don’t forget: the events will be covered live by Mammalian Daily reporters here on Twitter.
Full schedule of events released for 2019 Groundhog Day celebrations
The Department of Holidays, Festivals, and Celebrations (DHFC) has released the Official Schedule of the 2019 Groundhog Day Celebrations.
At a short press conference this morning, DHFC Director of Public Relations Aintza Kanariar said she was confident that all Park residents would be pleased with the lineup of performers, games, acts, and more that will make up what some in The Park consider the most important event of the year.
“We’ve somehow managed to streamline the event while making it longer,” she laughed, “but there’s no doubt it will be a jam-packed, fun-filled day for all.”
Kanariar confirmed that the 2km tunnel race would go ahead as usual, but said nothing about it being broadcast. She would not comment on speculation that one of The Park’s technology companies was planning to livestream the event.
Kanariar also confirmed that 2019 “spare,” Signe Klara Woodchuck, would be awakened at the same time as 2019 POPS, Olan Ulick Whistlepig.
“Olan Whistlepig and Signe Woodchuck will be awakened simultaneously, and Signe will be acknowledged during the post-prognostication ceremony. We want her to know we appreciate her contribution and her commitment to The Park,” Kanariar said.
Kanariar acknowledged the controversy over the two comedy sets scheduled and, in a nod to the growing desire among The Park’s population to have a say in all aspects of the celebrations, she announced that a comprehensive survey would be handed out to all celebration attendees.
“We are actively seeking their feedback and any suggestions they might have for the future,” she said.
As for the parade, Kanariar said many might find it leaned toward the nostalgic, but there will be plenty of new floats to combat that view.
The following musicians, among others, will participate in the event:
The Feral Four
The Canary Cousins
Spontaneous Generation
Les Chiens Débraillés
SCENTient Beings
Jargonhead
Persistent Sisters
The Cynics
Will.o.be
Memes of Production
Last Stand
Eggie and The Pigs
ZEAL
Inktvis and Krake
The All-Rodent Marching Band
The DomEstyx
The Beasts of Burden
BHR (Big Hearts Rule) formerly NIML (Not In My Lifetime)
Fish Rap
As is always the case, one of the most important aspects of the Groundhog Day celebrations will be the food. Renowned Chef Tab Triolore will reprise his “feral buffet” and supply delicious non-perishables from his grassRoutes restaurant. Other food purveyors include The Battering Ram Café, The Compost Heap, The Broop ‘n Miaow, The Draft, The Pound Gastropub, and The Cackling Goose Tavern. Mikko Tikkeri’s The Feeding Station will serve a full breakfast just after the Archons’ Address. Ants in Your Pantry and Provisions by Petrounel will send all attendees home with tasty party favours.
And, again, this year, food will be served for twenty-four hours straight.
“We’re going through from eight in the morning on the second [of February] until eight in the morning on the third,” Kanariar said.
And, don’t forget: the events will be covered live by Mammalian Daily reporters here on Twitter.
Full schedule of events released for 2018 Groundhog Day celebrations
The Department of Holidays, Festivals, and Celebrations (DHFC) has released the Official Schedule of the 2018 Groundhog Day Celebrations.
At a short press conference this afternoon, DHFC Director of Public Relations Aintza Kanariar used the word, “stupendous,” as she rhymed off the names of the performers, games, acts, and more that will make up what some in The Park consider the most important event of the year.
“There is not only something for everyone to enjoy at this year’s celebration,” she said, “but almost too much.”
Kanariar went even further, saying it was not just the quantity of the “non-stop fun,” but the quality that will make this year’s Groundhog Day memorable.
“After more than thirty-five years of zoocracy, The Park can truthfully say it has an unrivalled depth of talent,” she said. She also joked that the official celebration would “give the Early Risers a run for their money.”
For the past few years, The Park’s Early Risers, who end their hibernation on Groundhog Day instead of on the traditional date of February 19, have hosted legendary after-parties.
Kanariar also announced an addendum to the official schedule, which was released a few days ago.
“We will officially acknowledge the life and work of Egerton Vole, who died on January 25, after serving only nine days as Archon. The Archons’ Address, which will be read by Chief Archon Iolana Camira Whooping Crane, will also include some words about Vole, she said. And a tribute to Vole during the Groundhog Day parade will include a performance by the All Rodent Marching Band, but Kanariar would not say whether a new float would be part of that tribute.
For the first time since their bassist Zuberi Tembo died, the Endeka Elephant Band will play during the parade, as well. There will only be nine band members playing, however, because Árvakur Fíl, the band’s drummer, is serving as Archon this year.
Kanariar said we can expect the parade to include a “host of new floats,” several of which will acknowledge The Park’s endangered species.
New this year will be a poetry reading by members of the Centre for Interspecial Harmony.
In addition to the special appearance by Thisbe and the Barkettes, the following musicians will participate in the event:
The Feral Four
The Canary Cousins
Spontaneous Generation
Les Chiens Débraillés
SCENTient Beings
Jargonhead
Persistent Sisters
The Cynics
Will.o.be
Memes of Production
Last Stand
Eggie and The Pigs
ZEAL
Inktvis and Krake
The All-Rodent Marching Band
The DomEstyx
The Beasts of Burden
BHR (Big Hearts Rule) formerly NIML (Not In My Lifetime)
Fish Rap
As is always the case, one of the most important aspects of the Groundhog Day celebrations will be the food. Renowned Chef Tab Triolore will reprise his “feral buffet” and supply delicious non-perishables from his newly-opened restaurant grassRoutes. Other food purveyors include The Battering Ram Café, The Compost Heap, The Broop ‘n Miaow, The Draft, The Pound Gastropub, and The Cackling Goose Tavern. Mikko Tikkeri’s The Feeding Station will serve a full breakfast just after the Archons’ Address. Ants in Your Pantry and Provisions by Petrounel will send all attendees home with tasty party favours.
And, again, this year, food will be served for twenty-four hours straight.
“We’re going through from eight in the morning on the second [of February] until eight in the morning on the third,” Kanariar said.
And, don’t forget: the events will be covered live by Mammalian Daily reporters here on Twitter.
Park Museum to host exhibit honouring Prognostication Pad
In celebration of almost fifteen years of elected prognosticators in The Park, The Board of Governors of The Park Museum today announced a new exhibit, “The Means and the Message: A Decade of Prognostication Pads.”
This multimedia exhibit will honour not only those who have been elected Park Official Prognosticator of Spring (POPS), but the means that they have used to make their predictions: the prognostication pad.
The Winterlong exhibit will showcase the evolution of the prognostication pad throughout the past decade, putting the pad in historical context, and demonstrating the way in which its use has changed the office and duties of the prognosticator as well as the way in which spectators view the prediction.
Included in the exhibit will be pad architects’ blueprints, messages, notes, and correspondence, press interviews with Chief organizer Wyatt Whistlepig, Jr., and videotaped interviews with former prognosticators. Throughout the Winter, the museum will also host Q&A sessions with architects and with journalists who have covered The Park’s Groundhog Day celebrations over the years.
The exhibit will also feature memorabilia from POPS campaigns, including posters, flyers, buttons, newspaper interviews, television and radio interviews and recorded speeches, as well as original documents from court challenges to the predictions.
“The Means and the Message: A Decade of Prognostication Pads” will run from 31 October until 14 February 2018.
Design of 2017 prognostication pad sparks criticism, spawns new memes
The design of the 2017 prognostication pad hasn’t just sparked intense criticism from attendees and design experts; it’s also spawned several new Park memes.
The confusing design, coupled with the grave illness suffered by 2017 POPS Ditmar Bismarmot, has spawned a set of memes that appear to blame the pad and its designer, the architectural firm Fleck + Stone, for Bosmarmot’s illness.
The Park Official Prognosticator of Spring was found to be suffering from Premature Awakening (PA) from hibernation and was rushed to hospital just minutes after predicting an early Spring on Groundhog Day.
Despite these indisputable medical facts, the memes have taken off in a variety of forms, including one that shows an image of Bosmarmot sprawled across the top of the pad with the the warning: “Don’t get stoned by Fleck.” Another with a similar image says, “Ditmarred Again.” Yet another portrays the firm’s chef architect, Vadim Kobras, climbing up the pad, leaving a number of dead Groundhogs behind him on the steps.
For their part, the Archons have been swift to react to the memes, preferring to deal with them in a factual way. This morning, Balthasar Alouatta, spokesAnimal for the Archons, read a prepared statement from Chief Archon Klarissa Kuttu in which she wished Bosmarmot a speedy recovery. The statement went on to use the memes to address the issue of Premature Awakening and to direct Park Animals to information on the subject.
Thus far, neither the firm of Fleck + Stone nor its chief architect has publicly reacted to the criticism of the prognostication pad.
HAPPY GROUNDHOG DAY!
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2017 Groundhog Day Schedule released
The Department of Holidays, Festivals, and Celebrations has released the Official Schedule of the 2017 Groundhog Day Celebrations.
At a press conference held early this morning, Aintza Kanariar, Director of Public Relations for the department, announced plans for the ” Zoocracy 35 edition” of the celebrations.
Kanariar told the press that this year’s event will include the recognition of Park history “in many forms,” including a parade of all living former Archons, a reading from the historical tome of the sister of the founder of zoocracy, and a pantomime performed by the Working Wounded Performing Arts Company.
“We’ll be acknowledging history and making history all at the same time,” Kanariar said. She also confirmed that the Endeka Elephant Band would contribute a musical interlude during the official celebrations, but they will not play during the parade.
As well, Kanariar said we can expect the parade to include a “host of new floats,” many of which will acknowledge the anniversary of the founding of zoocracy.
“Even though this is our Groundhog Day celebration, and not the official celebration of Animal self-rule in The Park, we thought it fitting to include that theme in the parade,” she said.
As ever, one of the most important aspects of the Groundhog Day celebrations will be the food. And the food this year will be “diverse,” because, Kanariar, said, “We want to celebrate interspecial harmony by recognizing our different eating preferences.”
Among the new food stations will be a “feral buffet” courtesy of Chef Tab Tricolore and “Diverse Dishes” supplied by a consortium of The Park’s chefs and restaurateurs.
Also new this year, food will be served for twenty-four hours straight.
“We’re going through from eight in the morning on the second [of February] until eight in the morning on the third,” Kanariar said. But she was quick to confirm this would not replace the celebration hosted by the Early Risers.
“We are not competing with the Early Risers at all, and they are welcome to come and join us at any time.”
And, don’t forget: for the fourth year in a row, the events will be covered live by Mammalian Daily reporters here on Twitter.
Fleck + Stone to host information session on 2017 Prognostication Pad
Fleck + Stone, the high-end architectural firm hired by The Department of Holidays, Festivals, and Celebrations to design and build the 2017 prognostication pad, will host an information session for Park residents this weekend.
In a short press release this morning, the firm’s Chief Architect, Vadim Kobras, invited all Park residents to the information session which will be held on Saturday afternoon at the Ancient Open-Air Theatre.
“It is of utmost importance to the Fleck + Stone team that Park residents be in possession of all the facts surrounding the 2017 Groundhog Day prognostication pad,” the press release said. “We will be happy to answer any questions about the design and execution of this important piece of equipment.”
Although it didn’t directly address the controversy over the assumed high cost of the pad, the press release did imply that Park residents would see its value:
“The Fleck + Stone team is incredibly proud of the work it has done to help celebrate Groundhog Day in this very special year. We are confident that Park residents will be receptive to our design and will appreciate its uniqueness.”
The press release cum invitation ended with the words, “We were honoured to have been chosen for this job and we remain committed to supporting The Park and zoocracy in any way we can.” It was signed by the Chief Architect, himself.
According to sources close to the firm, Kobras will speak generally about the pad and building materials and go over some of the designs the team considered before fixing on the one that was built. No illustrations of the actual pad will be revealed, but Kobras is said to have also prepared a talk that deals with the history and significance of the prognostication pad.
The final design will be revealed in the early morning hours of Groundhog Day.
