Cluxatawney Henrietta, a resident chicken at Westchester County’s Alfred B. DelBello Muscoot Farm in Katonah, on Feb. 2 forecast there would be an early spring this year. Her prediction contradicted the forecasts earlier in the day from the groundhog Punxsutawney Phil in Gobbler’s Knob, Pennslyvania, and Charles G. Hogg, a groundhog who lives at the Staten Island Zoo. Both Phil and Chuck saw their shadows during the morning, meaning they are predicting six more weeks of winter.
When Muscott Farm Director Jonathan Benjamin checked, he found that Henrietta had laid an egg, which is her way of saying that an early spring is coming. She also made the early spring prediction in a letter she wrote in chicken-scratch and left for Benjamin to find.
Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins said, “Groundhog Day with Cluxatawney Henrietta is a beloved Westchester County celebration that brings families and neighbors together at Muscoot Farm. The event celebrates community, curiosity, and the changing seasons. It stands as a reminder of how county traditions continue to bring people together year after year. Groundhog Day has become very special here and that’s thanks to Henrietta.”
According to Benjamin, “Groundhog Day has become one of the most anticipated events of the year at the farm, thanks to Cluxatawney Henrietta. It’s always a joy to see visitors of all ages come together to support her and celebrate the occasion.”
Now in its eighth year, Muscoot Farm’s Groundhog Day celebration was complete with kid-friendly activities, tasty treats and plenty of farmyard fun.
“It started out as kind of a ‘fever dream’ idea but we made it into this ‘little engine that could,’” Benjamin said of the Groundhog Day event. “This is one of the many events that happen at Muscoot Farm. We’re open 362 days a year and we’re so happy to see all of you come out even on the coldest days.”
In her message to Benjamin, Henrietta wrote, in part, “From this cluckworthy moment, let us all proudly say, it’s no longer Groundhog Day, it’s Henrietta Day. An early spring’s coming, I’ve made it quite clear, signed sealed and predicted by your favorite hen here.”
