‘Breathtaking’: Thousands descend on small metro-east town to view eclipse totality

Kelly Smits
·2 min read
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The population of Red Bud multiplied Monday as thousands descended upon the small metro-east city to watch the total solar eclipse as it swept across the sky.

By late morning, hundreds had started gathering at Lincoln Park across from Southwestern Illinois College’s Red Bud campus to view the celestial phenomenon that won’t occur in the contiguous United States for another 20 years.

For retirees Christine Donohoo and Alex McNamara, it was a last-minute decision to make the short trek from St. Louis to Red Bud for the event.

“The more I read about it, the more I said … we gotta go. Let’s check it off our bucket list,” Donohoo said.

“It was spur of the moment, just thinking about how significant it is and a feeling that witnessing it is witnessing something bigger than ourselves.”

They ordered glasses on Amazon that were supposed to arrive Sunday morning, but the glasses didn’t arrive. Donohoo said she had heard that Warby Parker was giving out free pairs, so she went and got some. Upon arrival at the park, however, she realized she hadn’t needed to because various vendors were on hand to provide the special glasses.

Kelton Davis, Regional Superintendent of Schools at the Monroe-Randolph Regional Office of Education, sells eclipse glasses prior to the total solar eclipse in Red Bud, Ill. on April 8, 2024. Proceeds from the sales will go toward furnishing the new therapy room and setting up a community garden at the Red Brick Safe School in Red Bud, among other things.

One person handing out eclipse glasses was Kelton Davis, regional superintendent of schools at the Monroe-Randolph Regional Office of Education. He stood at the corner of West Market and North Oak streets midday Monday selling glasses for $5 a pair to people driving by on their way to view the eclipse.

Davis said the regional office of education ordered more than 25,000 pairs of eclipse glasses to provide to local schools with the help of two sponsors: the First National Bank of Steeleville and the Monroe County Health Department.

Doing so helps protect kids during the eclipse and saved local schools “a ton of money,” he said.

Davis was selling the leftovers Monday to raise money that will be used to furnish the new therapy room and set up a community garden at the Red Brick Safe School in Red Bud, among other things. He estimated that by the end of the day, he will have raised $3,000-$4,000 to help serve at-risk youth and their families in Monroe and Randolph counties.

Back at Lincoln Park, the sky became gradually dimmer until the area was enveloped in darkness at 2 p.m. as the one-minute, four-second period of totality began. The crowd erupted into applause and screamed in excitement as the street lights flickered on to accommodate the sudden effect of nighttime.

Betsy Rogers, 78, of Belleville, stares up to the sky as the moon crosses completely in front of the sun during the total solar eclipse in Red Bud, Ill., on April 8, 2024. “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Rogers said.
Betsy Rogers, 78, of Belleville, stares up to the sky as the moon crosses completely in front of the sun during the total solar eclipse in Red Bud, Ill., on April 8, 2024. “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Rogers said.

“The temperature difference is startling, isn’t it?” noted Betsy Rogers, 78, of Belleville.

Monday afternoon’s total solar eclipse was her first, Rogers said.

“I thought if I don’t do this one, I’m probably not going to see another one,” she said.

She said she was very glad she came out to view the eclipse and described it in one word:

“Breathtaking.”

Hundreds of cars stretch down IL-159 in Red Bud, Ill., on April 8, 2024 en route to the path of totality for the solar eclipse.
Hundreds of cars stretch down IL-159 in Red Bud, Ill., on April 8, 2024 en route to the path of totality for the solar eclipse.