Will Wiarton Willie see his shadow this year?

The excitement is building in Wiarton, as the town’s famous weather predicting groundhog is preparing to share with the world his winter weather prediction, come Friday.

“He is having trouble this year, the way the weather has been. He doesn’t know if he should be hibernating or awake or putting his bikini on. He doesn’t know what to do,” said Wiarton Willie’s Interpreter this year, who also serves as South Bruce Peninsula’s Mayor, Jay Kirkland.

The past two winters Willie has predicted an early spring.

Friday morning, at 8:07 a.m. sharp, Willie will l be carried onto the stage outside the Wiarton Arena where he’ll either see his shadow, heralding six more weeks of winter, or not see his shadow, meaning an early spring.

“He’s ready. He’s ready to give us his prediction on Feb. 2,” said Kirkland.

As Friday is a P.A. Day for most school kids in the region, Wiarton Willie organizers are bracing for a big crowd, teaming with youngsters on prediction morning.

A crowd celebrating Groundhog Day in Wiarton, Ont. on Feb. 2, 2023. (Scott Miller/CTV News London)

They hope the crowds stick around for a weekend full of activities for the Wiarton Willie Festival.

“The whole town comes together. People use it as a homecoming. Come up and visit their families, open up the cottage and come back to Wiarton in the wintertime to get rid of the blues,” added Kirkland.

Festivities kick off with fireworks at 7 a.m. on Friday, followed by Willie’s prediction at 8:07.

You can watch a livestream of Willie’s prediction on the CTV News London website.

“Once the festival is over, it almost takes another year to plan the next one. Everybody’s on edge up here leading up to the event, because we haven’t got far to go, now,” concluded Kirkland.