MAKANDA, Ill. — A smile hangs in the skies above the Village of Makanda, Illinois.
The town of just more than 500 people south of Carbondale has been greeted every day by a sky-scraping, yellow smiley face painted on its water tower since the early 1970s. The tower's whimsical design was originally an offhand decision made by the Buncombe Public Water District, but it has since become prophetic.
The cosmos have seemingly smiled on Makanda as well. The town is the exact intersection for both the 2017 and 2024 eclipses, an astronomical wonder that rarely ever happens in such a short time span, according to NASA. The small town swelled with thousands of tourists seven years ago, and its recent celestial crossroads designation caused village officials to prepare for bigger crowds this year.
"We really don't know what to expect this time," Makanda Mayor Tina Shingleton said. "It could be a whole lot more, it could be about the same."
"Quiet" is a defining characteristic of Makanda. Shingleton said the village hasn't changed much in the seven years since the last eclipse, and that's par for the course for the small town.
Makanda got its start in 1845 as a boarding house and construction camp for the Illinois Central Railroad and acted as a major vegetable and fruit shipping hub for Chicago, according to the village's website. Since then, it has weathered multiple floods and fires only to be quickly rebuilt with its small-town charm intact.
See 5 On Your Side coverage from the 2017 eclipse in Makanda here:
The nearby cities of Carbondale, Illinois, and Cape Girardeau, Missouri, were the areas eclipse-watching travelers focused on in 2017, and 2024 doesn't appear to be different. The cities are planning multiple viewing parties and events for the eclipse. But, tourists interested in less congested roads and a quieter experience need to look no further than Makanda.
The village's historic downtown boardwalk is at the heart of eclipse events this year. The event will include local art, souvenirs and food trucks. Click here for more information on the village's eclipse plan.
Rolling Oak Alpaca Ranch near the village is also holding an eclipse event called "Alpacalipse" and will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Click here to learn more.
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