Woodstock marks 30th anniversary of "Groundhog Day"

• The McHenry County town is marking the occasion all weekend with screenings, pancake breakfasts, dances and tours of filming sites.

Context: Woodstock sits about 60 miles northwest of Chicago. Ramis grew up on the North Side, later lived on the North Shore and shot several of his films in the area.

The intrigue: Although the comedy was shot in Woodstock, it was set in Pennsylvania. The town isn't letting that little fact stop them, as they have dubbed a local weather-wise woodchuck "Woodstock Willie."

• That means there are competing groundhog meteorologists.

Movie gossip: According to co-writer Danny Rubin and other accounts, Ramis and Murray's creative tensions boiled over during the shoot, severely damaging their friendship.

• Before Ramis died in 2014, Murray visited him at his North Shore home to make amends.

Thought bubble: I grew up right outside Woodstock and watched the filming in 1992. It's not a stretch to say that Ramis, Murray and the whole "Groundhog Day" production changed this little town forever.

Fact check: If you think this tradition is baloney, check out this Axios map on the accuracy of groundhog predictions.

Go deeper: Woodstock's "Groundhog Day" events, including a talk with Rubin.