The City is preparing for total midday darkness on April 8, as Dripping Springs is in the direct path of totality for the solar eclipse. The City of Dripping Springs created a task force that has been preparing for this event—and the expected traffic and influx of visitors to the Hill Country—for two years.
“Dripping Springs will be in totality for approximately three minutes, and Fredericksburg for four minutes. We are expecting three to four times the number of people who are usually in the city,” says Lisa Sullivan, People and Communications Director for the City of Dripping Springs and co-chairperson of the community task force. “When the eclipse is over, we expect a huge increase in traffic.”
The City is hosting a sunBLOCK party on Mercer Street for a fun, safe gathering place to watch the eclipse. Mercer Street will be closed from the morning of Sunday, April 7 through the evening of Monday, April 8. The sunBLOCK party will take place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on April 8 and will feature food vendors, an entertainment stage with music, and shopping.
Sullivan recommends to residents, “If you have to be at work on Monday morning in Dripping Springs, try to work from home to avoid traffic. If you have to be there in person, try to travel to downtown Dripping the night before. Traffic will be heavy entering and leaving the city, especially after the eclipse.”
Thanks to a generous sponsorship by the Dripping Springs Community Library (DSCL), each student in the Dripping Springs Independent School District will receive a pair of eclipse safety glasses.
“From the very beginning of the planning for the eclipse, providing glasses to students was always one of our goals,” Sullivan comments. “Educating the public on the safest way to view the eclipse has been a top priority, and this helps provide a vehicle to do that for the students and their families.”
“By investing in educational initiatives like this, DSCL hopes to inspire the next generation of scientists and astronomers while contributing to the overall well-being of our wonderful local school community,” says DSCL Director Mindy Laird. “We are thrilled to partner with the City to help make the solar eclipse a safe and educational experience.”
Along with providing complimentary glasses to the schools, DSCL will also have a limited supply of eclipse glasses available for patrons. Leading up to the eclipse, the library will also provide eclipse programming for all ages, including eclipse story time with KXAN meteorologist Kristen Currie.
In addition, the City is offering eclipse glasses for sale to residents, businesses, and visitors. The glasses and other eclipse memorabilia can be purchased at City Hall or online. Money raised by the City from merchandise sales will pay for the infrastructure that is being put in place for the event, including restrooms, the stage, glasses, and more. “We want to make sure we’re taking care of our city, our residents, our businesses, and our visitors,” says Sullivan. “We are passionate about making this a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone.”
DrippingEclipse.com | dscl.org/eclipse
