Monday is Groundhog Day, and here's what we're all thinking: Please, for our sanity's sake, let Punxsutawney Phil not see his shadow, so we can all have an early spring. We'll find out the verdict tomorrow.

Today, though, offers less stressful groundhog hoopla. It's the annual Essex Groundhog Day Parade. Participants gather at 1:30 p.m. at Essex Boat Works on Ferry Street and then begin the procession at 2. In addition to members of the public marching up Main Street - complete with their noisemakers and groundhog finery - the parade features the star of the show: 9-foot-tall Essex Ed, the groundhog of the hour.

For more information, visit essexct.com.