Chrissy Ormond-DeSwardt of Aurora was looking to enjoy a little time outdoors Monday, but it was no ordinary day, thanks to the solar eclipse.
“My daughter Emmary, she is almost 3 years old, and this is her first eclipse. This happens so infrequently. It’s strange because I had her over at the playground and suddenly, she wanted to know if it was time to go to sleep when she saw it got a little darker,” Ormond-DeSwardt said.
School grounds, neighborhoods, parks and more in the Fox Valley were filled with those gazing skyward during the early afternoon watching the eclipse.
The Fox Valley Park District elected to observe the unique event with its Solar Eclipse Viewing Party which was held from noon until 3 p.m. at the Wilds at Red Oak at 1400 N. River Road in North Aurora.
Guests were encouraged to bring their own picnic lunch and blankets to enjoy the early afternoon event which facilities manager at Red Oak Renee Oakley said was helping “connect us with the universe.”
“Our event is sold out. We bought supplies and an event like this involves a lot of last minute (decisions) as people wait to see how the weather in going to be,” she said.
Plans for the eclipse party began last year, Oakley said, “because we knew where it was going to be and we knew that we couldn’t miss out on the opportunity to celebrate it.”
The event included eclipse-themed snacks and an activity bag for use during the eclipse.
Oakley said her hope was that the viewing would put our lives “here on Earth in a different perspective.”
“We are streaming NASA live during the whole thing and I’m hoping what people get from this is a greater understanding of this unique phenomena. They are experiencing something that is rare,” she said. “To be part of that with the community – I’m hoping for just that sense of awe and people walking away and feeling better about who they are and where they are in this whole system. I hope that everyone just pauses and looks up safely and feels part of something bigger – there’s something huge happening out there.”
Folks of all ages were seen sitting in chairs or on the ground around the Wilds facility taking in the eclipse.
Ormond-DeSwardt said she was surprised “at how clear it is.”
“There no guessing about what’s going on around there but it’s also eerie,” she said.
Carol Kartheiser of Aurora signed up for the event and, like Ormond-DeSwardt, said she missed the last eclipse in 2017.
“The day is beautiful,” she said. “It’s a nice view – no clouds. I got an email from the park district about a week ago and decided I wanted to come out so I went and signed up. I’m going to be 76 this year and I don’t know if I’ll see another one.”
Kim Ledone of Aurora and her husband Frank also signed up for the event.
“This is amazing,” she said of the eclipse. “I thought, we couldn’t miss the opportunity and the great weather to see it.”
“The amazing part is you actually get to see the whole thing happening,” Frank Ledone said as he looked through his special glasses at the eclipse. “What’s surprised me is the clarity of the images as they cover each other and how clearly you can see the moon covering the sun.”
Wendy Wang of Aurora brought her son Aiden, 4, who was dressed in a Superman T-shirt.
Aiden’s first reaction when asked about the eclipse was, “It’s alive!”
“It’s real. I see pink when I look at it,” he said. “I’m not scared of it. I’ve got my Superman shirt on.”
Animals were also part of the afternoon phenomenon as Oakley walked around sporting a bearded dragon reptile on her shoulder.
“We’re trying to get some data to see if animals react during the eclipse. There’s some data that says yes, but we just don’t have enough,” Oakley explained to guests.
She said the animal had an advantage over the people at the event as far as viewing the eclipse.
“He lives in the desert and he’s used to sun,” she said. “Unlike humans we don’t have to worry about his looking up.”
David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
