Folks of all ages convened on Yellville on Monday, April 8 to view the total eclipse of the sun together. The Yellville area received approximately 2 minutes and 48 seconds of totality during the eclipse, making it an appealing destination for eclipse chasers from around the country.
Many gathered in the Yellville City Park — bringing chairs, blankets, and games to play while they enjoyed the mild weather with friends, family, and neighbors from near and far. The park offered a convenient spot to view he eclipse with plenty of parking spaces for all.
The Fred Berry Crooked Creek Nature Center hosted a large event, inviting everyone to view the eclipse from the grounds of the center, which sits atop a hill with a clear view of the sky. Arkansas Game and Fish representatives and volunteers were on hand to teach about the science behind the eclipse. At approximately 1:52 p.m., as the moon shut out the sun, the crowd applauded and cheered together.
Photographers of the event were treated to an extra tool for their kits thanks to a collaboration between a Yellville-Summit High School teacher, Tina Ply, and Ken Forman. When Forman learned about 3D printed sun spotters — a small device that can be attached to a camera to help photographers "aim" for the sun, he started looking for a way to have some printed for use during the eclipse.
Through word of mouth, Forman connected with Ply, whose students then 3D printed the sun spotters. The students gained valuable experience through the project and the sun spotters were made available to guests at the AGFC eclipse event for use with their cameras. The day was well-documented by many through photos and livestreams.
When the eclipse ended, traffic around Yellville experienced some delays as out-of-town visitors took to the highways to return from whence they came. Monday evening, RVs and automobiles were backed up into a line extended over one mile long down HWY 14 while waiting to make the turn from HWY 14 onto HWY 412 in Yellville.
