Where will you be for the eclipse on Monday?
April 5, 2024 | By Lisa Scagliotti and Sandy Yusen
Drop off your used eclipse glasses at the Waterbury Public Library after the eclipse next week for a collection to recycle/reuse. Illustration by Maya Whitehair
In this final (we think) update ahead of the total solar eclipse on Monday, April 8, we would like to share a few more pieces of important local information.
The town of Waterbury has a full page on its website with many local details you will be looking for including a recently added list of events with links for more specifics. These include storytimes at Waterbury Public Library and Tiny Acorn coming up on April 4, 6 and 8, events happening over the weekend April 6 and 7 with MakerSphere, Waterbury Historical Society and others; viewing parties on Monday at Zenbarn, Vermont Artisan Coffee & Tea, and Camp Meade to name a few. It also lists businesses with extended hours.
Still need eclipse glasses?
The town offices and Waterbury Public Library have plenty and they are free.
And when it’s over, the library will have a collection box for recycling eclipse glasses for a few days. The mixed materials in the glasses prevent them from being recycled through normal means. In Chittenden County, the Chittenden Solid Waste District is partnering with Astronomers Without Borders to collect glasses at all of its drop-off facilities and several event locations. The astronomers’ organization will put them to reuse at future eclipses globally. Find more details about those collections here.
Groups of porta-potties have been added to Rusty Parker Park, Anderson Park, the Ice Center recreation area and Hope Davey Park in Waterbury. Photo by Gordon Miller
Maps online and in person
The town has an online map with parking, suggested viewing spots and even locations where there will be extra public toilets. We share that in our Countdown to the Total Solar Eclipse post on our homepage.
There is a physical map outside at the municipal offices where people can stop by and mark where they have come from to see the eclipse in Vermont, too.
A giant map outside the municipal offices has pins for people to mark where they have traveled from to see the eclipse in Vermont. Photo by Lisa Scagliotti
For those thinking about heading up into the mountains – take heed
Backcountry trails are typically closed this time of year to avoid damage from hikers during mud season. First responders who staff backcountry rescue units are especially encouraging people to not venture into wilderness areas and up into high elevations where melting snow and mud will make trails challenging and potentially dangerous. EMS resources will be spread thin during the surge of expected visitors to Vermont for the eclipse and they warn that response personnel may be short-staffed and response times likely much longer than usual. (More on that in our Countdown post and in the News section.)
Camel’s Hump Road in Duxbury in particular will be closed to non-resident traffic from noon Sunday, April 7, until 6 p.m. Monday, April 8. In Waterbury, no roads will be closed but the trailhead to Hunger Mountain on Sweet Road will be marked as closed.
Same goes for getting out on the water…
Sun may be warm, but the water is still dangerously cold. In an instant, you could find yourself in the water and in trouble. If you venture out in a boat, canoe, kayak, etc. be sure to wear a lifejacket and proper gear. See more on this in our main post here.
One request: Send us your photos!
We would love to see and share photos from our readers!
Show us where you are, who you are with, and what it looks like to see the eclipse from your vantage point. We will gather up submissions and share them in a gallery afterward.
We’ve created a short form to use to send photos and caption information. Click here for that. If it doesn’t work for you for any reason, just email waterburyroundabout@gmail.com. For the caption, tell us who is in the photo, what is happening in the picture, where it was taken, when if that’s pertinent, and who the photographer was.
We’re looking forward to seeing and documenting this historic event as it unfolds. Here’s hoping for clear weather, and a fun, safe eclipse experience that everyone will remember.