People checking out the solar eclipse at the Mulva Cultural Center in De Pere, Wisconsin on April 8th, 2024. PC: Fox 11 Online
DE PERE, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The west patio at the Mulva Cultural Center in De Pere was bustling on Monday.
But rather than looking at an exhibit inside, people were looking to the sky.
The Great North American solar eclipse of 2024 was the star of the day.
And thanks to some cooperative weather, people of all ages got to enjoy the show.
“Really interesting, you can kind of feel that aura in the air. The darkness coming up on us already. Yeah, it’s a weird feeling,” said Rick Smith of Green Bay.
Brothers Isaac and Jacob and their friend Lacey were running around the patio with their parents in tow.
“It’s really cool to see, and fun. (And you said you can see it moving right?) Yeah,” said Lacey.
“It’s cool to see if you have these,” added Jacob, holding a pair of eclipse glasses.
Allan Krass of De Pere was pleasantly surprised by the weather.
“I was expecting rain all day today, but that didn’t pan out. Looks beautiful, so then I started to scurry around for eye glasses,” said Krass.
And not just any eye glasses.
Even though 87% of the sun was covered at our maximum, that last 13% of the sun can still damage your eyes.
The Mulva had some eclipse glasses for free, but they didn’t last long.
“They were gone within a couple minutes of us opening at 10 a.m.,” according to Tom Shefchik, Executive Director of Community Engagement for the Mulva.
Thankfully there were still plenty to go around — lots of people were lending pairs to others in attendance.
Turnout for the eclipse event surpassed even Shefchik’s expectations.
“We’re absolutely thrilled. It’s just fantastic to see people coming out and engaging with the facility. With us being open just since December, this was our first outdoor opportunity, and really the community just came out and partook in the event and we’re excited about that,” said Shefchik.
Even the staff came out to catch a glimpse of the eclipse.
A memorable day for all — a good thing, since Northeast Wisconsin’s next look at a solar eclipse with at least this much coverage won’t be until 2048.
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