Uvalde, Texas: Preparing to host ‘eclipse chasers’

Uvalde County, Texas, is situated on America’s “solar eclipse crossroads.” It’s the ideal spot in the Texas Hill Country River Region to view the annular solar eclipse that is coming up soon (Oct. 14, 2023) as well as the total solar eclipse that is scheduled for April 8, 2024.

 

Did you know that people travel great distances to view eclipses? They are known as “eclipse chasers” or “umbraphiles,” meaning shadow lovers. 

An annular solar eclipse happens when a new moon covers the sun’s center, leaving the sun’s visible outer edges to form a “ring of fire” or annulus around the moon.

 

The annular solar eclipse over Uvalde County begins at 11:50:53 a.m. (CDT) on Oct. 14 and lasts for 3 minutes, 53 seconds. Historically, the county has a 65% chance of clear to mostly clear skies on Oct. 14. 

The narrow path of the annular solar eclipse will progress diagonally across portions of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, California and Oregon. 

Uvalde County has a population of about 24,010 people. Most live in the City of Uvalde, which is the county seat. Uvalde County is about 80 miles west of San Antonio. The county is mid-way between San Antonio and the U.S./Mexico border on the Rio Grande at International Amistad Reservoir and Amistad National Recreation Area. 

The Uvalde Visitor Center is encouraging guests to “immerse themselves in a spectacle like no other as we prepare for grand celebrations” associated with the eclipses. 

The total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, begins at 1:29:40 p.m. (CDT), with totality lasting 4 minutes, 16 seconds. The chance of clear to mostly clear skies is 64% on this date. 

The next total solar eclipse to pass sections of the United States will occur in 2045, to be followed by a pair of annular solar eclipses in 2046 and 2048. 

Tourism leaders urge umbraphiles and other visitors to “discover the thrilling allure of Uvalde County,” with three crystal-clear rivers that teem with recreational opportunities.

 

The marketing slogan is: “Escape to Serenity: Embark on a Captivating Adventure!”

 

One such adventure in Uvalde County is the Frio Bat Cave, where tourists can experience up to 12 million free-tailed bats ascending into the evening sky before sunset. “Be amazed as several species of raptors dive into the exiting swirl of bats,” the tourism office said. 

The Texas Hill Country River Region has the second largest bat population in the world that is accessible to the public.

 

Uvalde was honored in 1905 as the “Honey Capital of the World.” Susan L. Ebert of Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine said: “Since that time, the town has been steadily cultivating this liquid gold, living up to its title, with each hive producing four gallons of honey a year.” 

Downtown Uvalde is abuzz with the two-day Uvalde Honey Festival on the second weekend in June, with vendors, live music, the Honey Queen pageant, a honey bake-off contest and a “bee in your bonnet” hat competition.

 

Uvalde deserves a break and a boost. The community continues to grieve, recover and heal from the loss of 19 children and two teachers who were murdered in the mass shooting that occurred at Robb Elementary School on May 24, 2022.

This was an image that was created to depict Uvalde Strong. The high school athletic teams are nicknamed Coyotes.
 

Oscar-winning actor Matthew McConaughey is a native of Uvalde. He has taken up the banner for “gun responsibility and school safety.” Immediately after the tragedy, he took his message to Washington, D.C., to appeal to President Joe Biden and the White House press corps. Reforms are past due, McConaughey noted.