SUNSET, Utah — For one small Utah town, the arrival of spring is not determined by a Groundhog 2,000 miles away in Pennsylvania. Instead, each year, they turn to "Sunset Sam" to help them predict the changing of the seasons.
Sunset, Utah, holds Sunset Sam's Winterfest each year. The festival began with a family tragedy: On September 14, 1994, Jeremy Doyle Andrews, 3, passed away following an automobile and bicycle accident. Following the tragedy, the Andrews family decided to hold an event for the community. " They basically came up with a way to help get their minds off it. That was just a really fun idea that would also kind of bring the community together with them," explained Councilmember Nakisha Rigley.
According to the city, the Andrews family was a big fan of Groundhog's Day and wanted a local take on the tradition but instead of a marmot, they decided to put their daughter's guinea pig, the titular Sunset Sam at the center. "... he would predict the arrival of spring, and she would let everyone pet her little pet guinea pig," remembered Rigley.
Following the first community gathering the town kept up the tradition of celebrating the changing seasons. Councilmember Nakisha Rigley did break one part of the illusion, Sunset Sam was not one guinea pig but an assortment through the years. "The guinea pig was not the same guinea pig over the years, so, you know, multiple volunteers came forward in the city to volunteer their guinea pig to be our Sunset Sam," Rigley stated.
Now the town doesn't have a Sunset Sam as they decided the tradition was too stressful for the guinea pigs. Instead, the town's former council member and mayor, Chad Bangerter, dons a teddy bear costume and takes on the role. Sunset Sam also represents a ceremonial figurehead for the town's celebration.
Hope is not lost for those wanting a return to Sunset Sam's predictions. Rigley said, "I think it'd be a fun thing to bring it back, you know, I know that I don't want to be, I don't want to be the person who's in charge of events to let that tradition go away at all."
This year's Sunset Sam's Winterfest is taking place Friday starting at 5:00 p.m. You can find more information here.
