How One Small Town Shone During the Eclipse

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Even in the globally connected, technology-infused 21st century, the small towns of America retain a special character that harkens back to simpler times. There are no rush-hour traffic jams. Neighbors care for each other in times of duress. The community supports each other’s local businesses.

I grew up in a small town—Madisonville, Kentucky—so when I found out that it was in the path of totality for the epic transcontinental solar eclipse, I knew that was the place I wanted to be on August 21, 2017.

What’s so special about a small town?

Madisonville is a small town in western Kentucky with a population of under 20,000. The town was founded in 1807 and named in honor of then Secretary of State James Madison. As an additional tribute, a fantastic mural of Madison’s Montpelier home prominently covers the entire side of a downtown brick building. Civic pride is alive and well, with baskets of blooming flowers and patriotic banners adorning lamp posts. Colorful bicycles installed by the Women’s Club welcome visitors throughout downtown.

Technically, Madisonville is incorporated as a city because it serves as the county seat of government for the smaller towns in Hopkins County. But it still has the feel of small-town America. There are more independent businesses than retail chains, and locals know the names of the owners. High school sports are community events, and the town is in a rural setting, surrounded by miles of tobacco, corn and soybean fields.

The excitement level in Madisonville peaked as the town projected as many as 50,000 visitors for the big event—two-and-a-half times the whole town’s population! Everyone stocked up on groceries and gas; businesses sold eclipse T-shirts and protective glasses, and offered special eclipse burgers and eclipse manicures; and land-owning entrepreneurs rented RV parking spaces. I can’t say how many people actually came, but every resident I spoke with had family or friends staying with them, and all four hotels reported no vacancies.

Eclipse Weekend Events

A full slate of events occurred over the weekend, starting with the monthly Friday Night Live, where the intersection of Main and Center streets closes to traffic for a good, old-fashioned street party. A band plays at the town bandstand; vendors’ booths selling food and crafts line the streets; and it’s a time to socialize with the community.

On Saturday night, Independence Bank sponsored a free concert by country music star Jennifer Nettles. Thousands of people flocked to the county fairgrounds to spread out their chairs and blankets for the show and a spectacular fireworks display afterward.

On Sunday, no eclipse event was planned until after church—this is the Bible Belt, after all. In this area, you’ll find a church on nearly every corner and country crossroad, and that’s where most of your neighbors are on Sunday morning. But in the afternoon, there was more live music, beer and food trucks; kayak rentals; and tethered hot air balloon rides at the gorgeous 265-acre Mahr Park. The beautiful park includes paved and soft walking trails through the woods, a disc golf course set among rolling hills and mature trees, a canoe launch, a community garden, and a welcome center in the home of the late benefactors, Dr. Merle and Glema Mahr. What a fabulous resource for a small town!

My Total Solar Eclipse Experience

After a full weekend of eclipse mania, the big day had finally arrived. Our party of nine (family and out-of-town guests) decided to return to Mahr Park to watch the celestial show. We packed chairs and blankets, snacks and drinks, and of course, our eclipse glasses, and made camp in the shade of a magnificent oak tree. Hundreds of others did the same, but everyone spread out among the beautiful rolling hills of the park.

Our group competed to see who could find the most state license plates on the cars in the park—the winner found 23 states, plus Ontario, Canada! I struck up conversations with other eclipse watchers and asked why they chose Madisonville to view the phenomenon. The first couple from Canada said they selected it because they wanted to experience the eclipse in a small town. A group who had traveled from Indiana and Florida said the same thing.

Everyone monitored the moon’s two-hour march across the face of the sun as we chatted with our eclipse neighbors, picnicked, snapped pictures, and played with dogs and babies. As the sun’s crescent shrank, the air got noticeably cooler, and when it was just a sliver, everyone was on their feet.

Suddenly, the birds stopped chirping and the air took on a hazy, mystical quality. The crowd collectively held their breaths. Then, as the final light extinguished, a cheer went up throughout the park! The crickets and locusts came to life with their nighttime song, and a star glittered high above in the twilight.

During our 1:48 minutes of totality, I took my protective glasses off to see a black sphere where the sun should be, surrounded by a brilliant orange, yet ethereal light. It was uncanny. Magical. Utterly bizarre. Then, the most glorious part of the entire experience happened—as the sun’s light peeked between the mountains of the moon, a superbly dazzling diamond ring appeared in the sky. I was awestruck. Gobsmacked. Absolutely enthralled.

I’ll venture to say that was the fastest two minutes of my life but among the most extraordinary. The entire weekend was exceptional, and the great American eclipse was a moment in time for this small town to shine in the absence of the sun.

The next total solar eclipse in the United States will track from Maine to Texas on April 8, 2024. western Kentucky is in the path of totality again, so don’t miss the opportunity to experience this amazing act of nature in a small town.