Monday, April 29, 2024
Just before a total solar eclipse passed over Gatesville on Monday, hundreds of residents and visitors came to the courthouse square for a weekend-long celebration.
The “Block (Out the Sun) Party,” which took place on April 6 and April 7, featured live music, photo props, a petting zoo, art show, and vendors selling a variety of food and merchandise.
“We were very pleased with the outcome of the festival,” Eclipse Coordinator Cheri Shepherd said. “On Saturday, we saw mostly local residents with a few visitors. On Sunday, we really noticed that the visitors were arriving.”
Shepherd said the festival received visitors from across the United States and around the world who traveled to the Gatesville and Central Texas area for the total eclipse. The square featured a U.S. and world map where visitors placed a red pin to show which state or country they call home.
The event received people from several states such as Utah, Oregon, Idaho, North Carolina, Virginia, California, and New Mexico, among others. International visitors arrived from Japan, Norway, New Zealand, San Salvador, Columbia, United Kingdom, Amsterdam, and Bulgaria.
“It was amazing to see all of these people enjoying our little downtown festival and admiring our courthouse,” Shepherd said.
Owners of local businesses and organizations who lined the courthouse square also benefited from the crowds – from meeting new people to a surge in sales.
Mel Bailey, owner of Nipa Truck, said it was the most eggrolls she had ever sold.
“It was a very good event,” Bailey said. “It was probably one of my busiest sales times ever.”
By Sunday, Bailey said she sold out of all the eggrolls she made ahead of the festival. To prepare for the eclipse on Monday, she had to make around 800 eggrolls.
Bailey also set up two of her food trucks on Monday for eclipse events at Higginbotham’s Brothers and Coryell Community Church. On Saturday, April 13, Nipa Truck will attend The Texas Food Truck Showdown in downtown Waco.
“Overall, it really did test me as a food truck owner to see how much I could actually do,” Bailey said.
Local artist Bindie Patel recently opened her business, SketchClick Arts, on April 1. She said the festival was her first experience as a vendor.
“I really enjoyed meeting new people,” Patel said. “The sales were just a bonus to be honest.”
Although Patel works in healthcare, she said she always wanted to become an artist. At the event, Patel sold souvenir magnets and photo prints that she designed for the eclipse in Gatesville.
View available products from SketchClick Arts through their Facebook page, SketchClick Arts.
