Sun Feb 02 13:40:00 UTC 2025: ## French Creek Freddie to Make His Prediction on Groundhog Day
**FRENCH CREEK, W.Va.** – West Virginia’s official groundhog, French Creek Freddie, will emerge from his burrow this Sunday to predict the arrival of spring. The annual Groundhog Day celebration at the West Virginia Wildlife Center in French Creek is expected to draw a large crowd.
Activities begin at 9 a.m., with Freddie making his prediction at 10 a.m. If he sees his shadow, legend dictates six more weeks of winter; if not, an early spring. The event will also include educational talks on groundhog biology by Wildlife Center Manager Trevor Moore, highlighting their impressive digging abilities and relationship to squirrels.
Moore explained the tradition’s origins in Germany, where hedgehogs or badgers were used for similar predictions. German immigrants brought the tradition to America, adapting it to the readily available groundhogs.
The day will feature contests and refreshments, with gates opening at 9 a.m. The Wildlife Center encourages attendance, emphasizing the educational opportunities the event provides.
First Piper 