Will you be keeping UD tradition this year as the groundhog searches for his shadow? If so, here are some things you should know.

1. If you’re attending the Party in the Park here in Irving, purchase your sweatshirt (which, of course, is also your ticket). They’re the highly popular quarter-zip design again this year, like they were in 2013 for the 50th anniversary Groundhog celebration. Online sales are closed, but sweatshirts can be purchased in the Student Activities and Leadership Center (SALC) the week of Jan. 25-29, Monday through Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., and on Saturday, Jan. 30 (the day of Groundhog), from noon to 5 p.m.
2. The artwork for this year’s sweatshirt was done by psychology major Stephanie Ogbo, BA ’16, who just got into her top-choice medical school. Sweatshirt sizes are available on a first-come, first-served basis. More than 600 have already been sold!
3. Doors for the party open at 8 p.m. You must have your sweatshirt and some form of government-issued identification to enter the party. No bags or flasks are permitted.
4. The rumors are true: the Party in the Park will not actually be held in Groundhog Park this year. It will be held on campus, on the field adjacent to the outdoor basketball courts. The park, due to heavy rains over the past weeks, is, in fact, under water. It is not a conspiracy.
5. For those guests 21 years of age and over, Dallas’ own Deep Ellum Brewing Co. is providing the beer. Guests whose government-issued identification shows them to be of legal drinking age will receive wristbands for beverages.
6. For alumni, regional Groundhog celebrations start Jan. 23. Some will also be Jan. 30 and Feb. 6. A full list of regional celebrations is available here; find one near you! No ticket or sweatshirt is required for these, but an RSVP is requested.  
7. There will also be a Party in the Rat for alumni and current seniors (the Class of 2016) from 8 p.m. to midnight on Jan. 30. There will be a photo booth from 9 p.m. to midnight; props will include a life-size cutout standup of President Thomas W. Keefe.
8. Groundhog weekend includes other fun and worthwhile events, from a sneak preview of the Marc Chagall exhibition “Intersecting Traditions” in the Beatrice M. Haggerty Gallery on Jan. 29 from 4-7 p.m. (the event is free but an RSVP is requested), to the soccer alumni reunion game at noon and the alumni vs. students rugby match at 2 p.m. on Jan. 30.
9. Inclement weather is not currently forecast for the night of Groundhog, but, as we know, this is subject to change.