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Mountain Home Magazine

Goose Day

Celebrate Goose Day in the Juniata River Valley by eating goose on Sept. 29th to ensure wealth and prosperity all year long.

Pennsylvania may be the home to a famous holiday that celebrates a groundhog, but it’s also home to a unique, quirky holiday that celebrates geese, Goose Day. With roots dating back to 1786, Goose Day has been a tradition in the Juniata River Valley and is officially celebrated in both Mifflin and Juniata Counties on Sept. 29 each year. It all started when a young Englishman named Archibald Hunter settled his account on Sept. 29 with his landlord, a Pennsylvania Dutchman named Andrew Pontius. Hunter had his accounts under one arm and a goose under his other arm. Looking confused, Pontius learned from Hunter that in England, eating goose on the Fest of St. Michael (Sept. 29), would bring good luck. Generations of people in the Juniata River Valley have observed this long-standing holiday by dining on goose, thus ensuring wealth and prosperity for the coming year. In recent years, a wide variety of events and activities have increased all over the two-county region to make the holiday a great reason to visit the Juniata River Valley this fall. This year’s celebration is Sept. 26-29 with some of the highlights to include festivals, a 5K run, community photos, the reveal of four, 5-foot-tall fiberglass Wild Geese, and a road rally. A complete list of events and promotions is available on the Juniata River Valley Visitors Bureau’s webiste. Visit www.juniatarivervalley.org and the Facebook event page for the list and where to find your lucky goose.

Date & Time

September 26, 2019

12:00AM

Location

Juniata River Valley Area Chamber of Commerce - 1 W. Market St., #103, Lewistown, PA, 17044 1 W. Market St., #103 Lewistown 17044 PA US

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