An Eclipse Guide for Wimberley Businesses

As the city continues to prepare for the April 8 eclipse in town, Tourism Director Leanne Kirby and Ted Gartner, special liaison to the city, have created a guide for businesses who will serve customers during the event. With the expectation that there could be as many 50,000 visitors to the area, businesses are advised to make plans early.

Traffic, according to the guide, will likely surge beginning Friday, April 5 and extend through Tuesday, April 9. Employees could be significantly delayed, perhaps by hours, in traffic. Employees should fill their gas tanks in anticipation of slow moving traffic and other disruptions to their normal commute times.

Restaurants and retail shops are advised to stock up early, making sure that suppliers finish their deliveries in plenty of time before the Friday rush. The guide suggests that restaurants consider streamlined menus, create space for checkout lines, and anticipate traffic flows in and around their building.

Businesses should also anticipate wireless disruptions and create a back-up plan for point of sale, security, payment processing and other operations that rely on connectivity. They should have adequate cash on hand and secure storage. Deposit protocols, the guide suggests, should be confirmed along with bank access prior to the eclipse.

If a business is not essential or does not cater to tourists, the city suggests that owners consider working from home or closing during the three to four-day period between April 5 and 9.

All residents are encouraged to rely on KWVH 94.3FM radio for up-to-date local information.

The guide also reminds Wimberley residents that the Wimberley Independent School District has canceled school on Monday, April 8. Employees should plan for childcare options and employers should schedule shifts that factor this into their staffing equation.

From Friday, April 5, through Tuesday, April 9, especially around gas stations, retail stores, and restaurants, there is expected to be extra traffic and the city’s major traffic arteries could be jammed.

The City of Wimberley is adding portable restrooms for the surge of visitors to the area, but they could reach capacity, they say, before service and trash pickup is possible.

Other things happening on April 6 include The Lions Club Market Days on April 6 from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Ace Hardware’s Street Dance from 6 to 10 p.m.