CLARKSVILLE, Ind. — While the sun may be the star of Monday's show, in the town of Clarksville, Ind., the food was just as important.
"[We] have a wide range of activities for the whole evening," Kayla Tatgenhorst, with Clarksville Parks and Recreation, said. "We have five different food trucks. Three being food, I guess, and two being drink-type trucks."
Hundreds gathered on the Central Green for a once-in-a-lifetime view, some games and of course a hot meal.
Some in attendance even remember the last solar eclipse, in 2017.
"Yes I did. I remember because I found the glasses I kept," Lucy Williams, from Paoli, Ind., said.
"It was odd," Cullen Hammett, from Georgetown, Ind., said. "It's like a big circle with an outline."
But nothing could prepare them for this time around.
"A lot of my clients (say), 'What do you want to watch it for?' I'm like, 'Because I won't be around the next time,'" Lucy Williams said. "They say, 'Oh yeah you will.' I'm like 'If I am, I won't know I'm here.'"
"I was wondering if it was going to go completely dark or not," Zeke Williams, a second grader, said. "It's really cool and it's a lifetime experience."
"I'm happy I got to get here to see it," Ashley Howard, an eclipse onlooker, said. "I think I'll remember the comradery, the environment, being outside, just feeling free and having a good time with friends."
"It was just a wonderful experience I'll cherish and remember," Cynthia Williams, another eclipse onlooker, said. "Especially, doing it with friends and family. It's just great."
Perhaps the only thing more rare than the eclipse itself are the memories people made along the way, on the path of totality.
"It's a dream come true," Lucy Williams said. "Yeah, I was gonna' say, [Ruth] is my soulmate. We both are widowers, and we depend on each other."
"We do a lot of things together," Ruth Deaton said, talking about her sister Lucy. "We go on vacation together. This is another event that we can share together. So that's great."
As the solar eclipse carries on along the path of totality, the crowd gathered in Clarksville will never forget where they were April 8, 2024.
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