Hoodie Hoo Day, Saturday-
The groundhog warned of six more weeks of winter, but if you can’t wait any longer for Spring head to Mama’s Smokin’ BBQ Saturday morning for the chance to scare Old Man Winter away.
From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday they will be celebrating Hoodie Hoo Day at Mama’s Smokin’ BBQ on Route 19 in Shongo. The big event will take place promptly at noon when those assembled, will step outside, shake their fists at the sky and holler Hoodie Hoo. The action is supposed to drive winter away.
It all got started in the early 1980’s when Thomas Roy of Wellcat, located in Lebanon, Pa., copyrighted Hoodie Hoo Day. It got closer to this area when Betty Tomack decided people in Potter County were weary of the dreary winter, so she decided to celebrate Hoodie Hoo Day at the Gold Country Store located in Gold, Pa. It was a successful party for many years, but not much of a winter deterrent. Tomack said there were often many big snowstorms following the celebration.
County Legislator and President of Allegany Trail Inc., Bill Dibble, brought the event across the border after the Gold store closed. He started in Wellsville on Feb. 20, a workday that year and it didn’t stick.
After a hiatus of a couple of years, four years ago he brought it to the Mama’s Smokin’ BBQ on the closest weekend to Feb. 20th. The event was Gold-en with free food, beverages and live music.
In 2019 it was held in Whitesville because a fire had destroyed the Shongo restaurant. This year it is back at Mama’s and promises to be bigger and better than in the past.
Admission is free, food is free, but running outside at noon and hollering Hoodie Hoo is mandatory, for those so inclined.
