WATERBURY, Vt. (WCAX) – Thousands of visitors are expected to make their way to Vermont for April’s total solar eclipse, injecting millions of dollars into the economy during what is normally a slow time of year for tourism.
It may be chilly outside but travel and tourism preparations are heating up in preparation for April 8′s total solar eclipse.
“We’re really going to blow it out of the water that weekend,” said Stacey Comishock with Smugglers’ Notch Resort. She says they are expecting over 3,000 guests for the big event and have a packed schedule including pond skimming, drumming, fire dancing, and fireworks. “We have programming seven days a week off the mountain and so we’re well equipped to handle this between food and beverage, our activities department, and everything else it takes to pull it off. We’re good at this stuff.”
And for eclipse chasers looking to add something psychoactive to the experience, Lamoille County Cannabis in Morrisville is preparing. “We plan on contacting some of the growers we work with making sure we have plenty of their products on supply. Also things like edibles, tinctures, things of that nature,” said the shop’s Carl Bertelson.
Others are gearing up and selling Vermont eclipse merch, from glasses to mugs to hoodies. Those behind the website Moon Over Vermont want people to remember cosmic history in the Green Mountains.
Retailers are gearing up, too. At Crossroads Deli in Waterbury, General Manager Jeremy Allaire is bracing for people coming and going on nearby I-89 to fuel up and grab other snacks. “Generally, we want to hire about 20 staff members. We double our staff by then with the creemee stand being a big part of that. But our deli, cashiers — we need to bulk up and get ready for an event like this which will be huge for this area,” he said.
April’s mud season is typically a slow tourism time and the state is working to get information to prospective visitors and businesses who might otherwise be closed on Sundays and Mondays. “This would be a great opportunity for folks to change their plans, take advantage of the fact that there will be a lot of people we expect at a slow time of the year,” said Heather Pelham with the Vt Vermont Department of Tourism & Marketing.
A big swath of Vermont from Burlington to Barre to Newport is expected to see economic benefits from the eclipse.