Flatiron Freddy: Boulder's Groundhog Day Tradition

Join the City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks Rangers virtually or in person for a celebration of Groundhog Day on Sunday, Feb. 2. Meet the famous Flatiron Freddy and find out his prediction. Learn how the stars have something to do with this day and why a real groundhog would never see his shadow in Colorado. Stay tuned to this webpage for more details about our annual “Flatiron Freddy” event!

Freddy has historically appeared in many amazing ways including by canoe, fire engine, bobsled, skis, zip lines as well as through magical stumps and holes. This program will be both in person at the Chautauqua Ranger Cottage, and available virtually.  The City of Boulder is also planning to livestream the event.

Open Space and Mountain Parks' Flatiron Freddy event on Groundhog Day is a quirky, uniquely Boulder tradition that has happened for more than 12 years. In the early 2010s, Flatiron Freddy existed peacefully as a deceased, stuffed yellow-bellied marmot – a close relative to the groundhog – in Boulder's Flagstaff Nature Center, where stuffed animal mounts are typically stored until the spring. One winter Freddy was inadvertently left out, and his fur was damaged and was about to be removed from the center. However, Rangers felt he deserved more.

Since then, Freddy has become part of an annual Open Space and Mountain Parks Ground Hog Day tradition. In recent years, Freddy has made his way out of his burrow each year in various ways, such as skiing down a trail, driving a car out of his burrow, and even by zip line in a canoe. It’s up to OSMP Rangers to interpret Freddy’s weather forecast.