Acorn Acres announced that it will host a Groundhog Day scavenger hunt from Thursday, Feb. 2, until Sunday, Feb. 5. The wildlife rehabilitation center, which is located in Millersville, collaborated with multiple businesses in downtown Lancaster to coordinate an event that celebrates the holiday tradition and interrupts the infamous lull of the post-Christmas winter months.

The event was first held in 2021, following COVID-19 lockdowns that put local businesses in a dire position. "February is already notoriously bad for downtown businesses because of the cold weather," said Betsy Shank, founder of Acorn Acres. "I wanted to do something to lighten everyone's mood and get traffic into struggling businesses." Shank connected with Heather Kreider, a friend of hers and the owner of Hempfield Apothetique, and the two began to brainstorm ideas for an event.

Shank and Kreider decided on hosting a scavenger hunt that involved several businesses in Lancaster city. For the duration of the four-day event, participants were tasked with visiting a list of local stores, each offering a unique Groundhog Day item or promotion. Acorn Acres' mascot, a groundhog named Poppy, also appeared sporadically throughout the event for photo opportunities. "People were smiling again. It was such a fun thing to do," said Shank.

Now that a sense of normalcy has mostly returned after the COVID-19 pandemic, the scavenger hunt has expanded. Ten businesses will participate this year, and the event's activities have been modified to include children in addition to adults. The event will kick off with a four-hour event at 10 a.m. on Feb. 2 at Hempfield Apothetique, 100 W. Walnut St., Lancaster. An official prognostication will be held at 11 a.m., and the opening day event will be attended by representatives from Our Town Brewery and Ville & Rue. Our Town Brewery will offer a new IPA brewed in collaboration with Acorn Acres and themed after Groundhog Day.

After Hempfield Apothetique, the event will move to Decades, located at 438 N. Queen St. in Lancaster. The bowling alley and bar hybrid will offer a cocktail named after Poppy, called the Snap Kraken Pop; for each of the special cocktail purchased, Decades will donate $1 to Acorn Acres. The festivities will resume on the following day at Lancaster Recreation Commission, 525 Fairview Ave., from 9:30 to 11 a.m. and pick up again at Ville & Rue, 8 W. King St., from 6 to 8 p.m.

On Saturday, the celebration will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Miesse Candies & Ice Cream, located at 118 N. Water St. in Lancaster. The event will then move to the Barnstormers' Stadium at 3 p.m. and conclude at 7 p.m., during which activities will be offered for children. The Groundhog Day scavenger hunt will wrap up on Feb. 5 at Zoetropolis Cinema Stillhouse, 112 N. Water St., from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

On Wednesday, Feb. 1, at 7 p.m., Acorn Acres will host a livestream on its Facebook page where staff members will read "The Night Before Groundhog Day," a book geared toward younger children.

"One thing I wanted to do when I started Acorn Acres was support local businesses," said Shank. "This event is our way of giving back to the community during the normally dreary months."