New Holiday in The Valley: Armadillo Day
Groundhog Day has become an American tradition, and it’s something fun that we look forward to each year. Annually on Feb. 2nd, thousands of people from around the world gather in Punxsutawney, PA at Gobbler’s Knob to see if Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow. If he sees his shadow, that supposedly means there will six more weeks of winter. If he doesn’t see his shadow, spring will arrive early.
Some residents of The Valley have decided to create a similar “holiday.” But, it’s going to be a little different than Groundhog Day. It’s going to be called Armadillo Day, and the armadillo is named Valley Vic. Valley Vic is a rescue armadillo that was hit on Hwy. 13, and he was rehabilitated. However, he still walks with a limp. The ceremony will be held each year at Buck Bend on the Strong River. The verdict will be the same though. If Valley Vic comes out of his burrow and sees his shadow, there will be 6 more weeks of winter. If he doesn’t see his shadow, we’ll be wearing shorts by March 1st.
The organizers of this “holiday” have formed The Valley Armadillo Club to plan and organize the event each year. The event will be held on Feb. 2nd each year like Groundhog Day. Buck Bend Resort on the Strong River will host the event annually. Graye Hardshelle is the president of the Armadillo Club, and he’s very excited about the new holiday.
Hardshelle said, “I’ve had a vision about creating this event for a while now. Why can’t The Valley have a neat annual experience like the folks in Punxsutawney, PA? We don’t have groundhogs in The Valley, but we have armadillos and they burrow like groundhogs. So, let’s do an Armadillo Day! I will have to admit that groundhogs are much cuter than armadillos though. Over time, hopefully we can build it up to be a big regional event each year.”
Hardshelle wants the event to be like a fair or festival. They’ll have vendors selling food, nic nacs, and more. Armadillo Day and Valley Vic souvenirs will be sold as well. There will also be games for the kids, and there will be live music as well.
However, some aspects of Armadillo Day will be different from Groundhog Day. Hardshelle said, “On Groundhog Day, you see the guy in the suit and top hat holding up Punxsutawney Phil, and the crowd goes wild. Myself or no one else will be holding Valley Vic, because he’s dirty and we don’t want to get leprosy. Also, we’re not real sure how we’re going to get Valley Vic out of his burrow. He has good days and bad days. If he doesn’t want to come out, you ain’t getting him out of his burrow. He digs those claws in, and he won’t budge. So, y’all keep your fingers crossed that he’ll wake up on the right side of the bed tomorrow.”
The organizers are expecting a big crowd tomorrow at Buck Bend. The event begins at sunrise with the ceremony to see if Valley Vic sees his shadow. Vendors will be cooking breakfast food for the attendees. Organizers expect things to really pick up in the afternoon as kids get out of school. Live music will start at 6:00 pm, and they’ll have multiple bands perform. The event ends at 10:00 pm. See you tomorrow Valleyans at the inaugural Armadillo Day!