DRIPPING SPRINGS, Texas —
The total solar eclipse is happening Monday, and many places around Central Texas are hosting special events to celebrate and watch.
The Hill Country will be a hot spot to see the eclipse in totality.
Dripping Springs is "about to throw some shade," according to the city website. The city's "Sun Block" party is expected to be "totality" awesome.
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime thing. It is not going to happen in Dripping Springs for another 300 years," Lisa Sullivan, Dripping Springs' people and communications director, said.
Activities are scheduled to start at 10 a.m. The eclipse is expected around 1:34 p.m., and visitors can expect a special space designated for viewing. The party will keep going until 6 p.m.
Part of Mercer Street will be closed to create a safe gathering place to watch the eclipse, as well.
There will be music from local students and entertainers throughout the day, as well as food vendors and food trucks. Approximately 20 different eclipse-related vendors and businesses will also be selling commemorative items.
A lot of planning has gone into preparing for the event, down to every dirty detail.
"We've been preparing for two years. We're one of the few cities that ordered porta-potties two years ago. So, we've got almost 100 porta potties ready standing by," Sullivan said. "So I think more than any city in the United States, we are probably one of the most well-planned cities and ready for whatever may happen."
Dripping Springs expects a big crowd, but the city is unsure just how large it will be.
"We're only basing everything that we know on what happened in 2017. And we've been studying what's happened. But I will tell you that I've had people even from the UK telling me they are coming to Dripping Springs to watch the eclipse," Sullivan said.
Sullivan asks people to be patient. She recommends filling up your gas tank before heading out, just in case and said to follow the parking guidelines.
They will also have the Texas State Guard in attendance to work on training and to help with crowds if needed.
"It really is a once-in-a-lifetime thing. And instead of focusing on the stress and everything, just enjoy it. Enjoy it," Sullivan said.
Monday morning there was cloud cover, but city leaders said even if it's cloudy during the eclipse, it will still get dark and there will still be something to experience. If it's cloudy, then it will get even darker.