Groundhog Day 2026 Prognostication 

Acorn Acres Wildlife Rehabilitation is thrilled to welcome the community to our Annual Groundhog Day Prognostication Event on Monday, February 2, 2026, a cherished winter tradition celebrating wildlife, education, and a little seasonal fun.

This year’s event is proudly hosted in partnership with Ecklin Events and graciously held at the historic Conestoga House & Gardens, whose beautiful setting provides the perfect backdrop for this unique Lancaster County celebration.

🐾 Meet the Prognosticators

Acorn Acres’ beloved ambassador animals Elliott the Groundhog and his little sister Lilly will deliver their official 2026 winter prognostication using Acorn Acres’ signature “snack method.” Instead of shadows, Elliott and Lilly choose between carefully prepared snacks, each symbolizing either an early spring or six more weeks of winter. Their choice determines the forecast and never fails to delight the crowd.

📅 Event Details

Date: Monday, February 2, 2026
Time: 9:00–11:00 AM
Official Prognostication: 10:00 AM sharp
Location: Conestoga House & Gardens, Lancaster, PA

🎟 This is a ticketed event
🚗 Parking is extremely limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis with a valid event ticket. Carpooling is strongly encouraged.

🤝 Our Hosts

Acorn Acres Wildlife Rehabilitation is grateful to partner with Ecklin Events for event coordination and to Conestoga House & Gardens for generously hosting this beloved community tradition. Their support helps make Groundhog Day an engaging, well-organized, and memorable experience for all.

Join us as we celebrate Groundhog Day the Acorn Acres way with heart, humor, education, and two very important groundhogs helping us look ahead to the season to come.

Is your class or group studying wildlife? We have fantastic programs with live animals (grey squirrel or groundhog). Our program (live speaking presentation with PowerPoint presentation) is packed full of information and lasts about 40 minutes. Then, our favorite part, questions and answers, which usually runs about 10-20 minutes, depending on the size of your group. Then, the absolute best part, meeting the animal(s)! The amount of time meeting the animals is really dependent on the size of your group, but generally runs about 30 minutes. Based on our experience you should probably plan on scheduling 1.5-2 hours for our visit. We are happy to expand or pare down our programs to fit your needs and allotted time slots. Acorn Acres specializes in squirrels and groundhogs; so we can talk about them for a very long time, if needed! 

Maybe your group is having an event (civic group, birthday party, family reunion, etc.) and you'd like to have a special guest. We can do that too! Acorn Acres will set up an informational table at your event and we will have our animals for your guests to meet. We will chat and mingle with your guests answering questions they may have. At an event we do not provide a formal presentation, it is a much more laid back setting. The booking time for an event is a minimum of 2 hours, not counting set-up/tear-down.

Is your mind racing, figuring out how to incorporate Acorn Acres into your plan? Send us a message or give us a call to discuss. Upon request, we will furnish our Act 33 Clearance. We look forward to planning your Program/Event!