BELFAST, Maine — If you've ever celebrated Groundhog Day, you probably know Punxsutawney Phil. But do you know Maine's own weather-predicting Passy Pete the lobster?
Each year, Passy Pete emerges from Penobscot Bay in Belfast to choose a scroll predicting either six more weeks of summer or an early winter.
Dozens of people gathered in Heritage Park on Monday, eager to find out if there will be a late summer or early winter, as declared by Belfast's clairvoyant crustacean.
"We wouldn’t miss this," attendee Rachel Tall said.
People in attendance placed bets on what they thought Passy Pete would forecast.
"I would wish for a late summer, but I have the feeling it might be an early winter," attendee Teresa Toole said.
As people waited for Passy’s big reveal, anticipation grew.
"This is more important than Google, we need to know what the weather will be, this is serious, this is science," Swanville resident Jay Tall said.
At last, Passy Pete was pulled out of Penobscot Bay by the Belfast barons and baronesses.
"Alright, Passy has returned once again," Belfast Baron David Crabiel said.
Then, Passy emerged from his trap and was presented with two scrolls—one declaring six more weeks of summer and one declaring an early winter.
Despite the hopes of many, the scroll Passy Pete selected said, "If you have taken care of your crops and restocked your shops, an early winter is nothing to fear."
Though the crowd was not happy with the announcement, the prediction couldn’t damper the lobster-loving spirits.
"It’s so much fun I tell you, it’s silly," Crabiel said. "It’s just a great time and seeing all the kids, they're so excited about Passy."
For resident Gary Stuckey, Passy's Labor Day prediction is on his calendar every year.
"It's just fun, you know, nobody takes it real seriously, and it's kind of a nice little tradition," Stuckey said.
Passy Pete has been making his forecast for 10 years. The tradition was started by a group of local business owners as an end-of-summer celebration. Their goal is to promote tourism.
"It was just a fun way for us to think about, 'Oh, the summer's coming to an end but let's see if we can have just one last little fun hurrah,' and maybe Passy predicts six more weeks of summer, in which case all the people will flock back to Belfast, or maybe it's an early winter like this year," Crabiel said.
Passy returned to the bay, awaiting next year’s prediction.