Traffic backups happening in Indy, Evansville while Bloomington enjoys smooth day

5:10 p.m.: Traffic backups around Evansville, Indianapolis

People may have no trouble leaving the Bloomington area, but are likely to run into some traffic backups if they are taking Interstate 69 north to Indianapolis or south to Evansville.

5 p.m.: Some final thoughts from William Shatner

Actor William Shatner, best known for his portrayal as Capt. James T. Kirk in the TV series “Star Trek,” began his spoken word performance with a history of planet Earth and the moon, before describing what usually happens during an eclipse: “The moon is going to insert itself between us and the sun. Sparrows and cicadas will play, bewildered by the unexpected darkness. … Ghostly owls and curious bobcats will come out to hunt. … Then, almost as quickly, they will scurry back to their place, back to their familiar rhythm, where night means night and day means sunlight.

“And this magic moment that we’re sharing today, where, because of places like Indiana University educating us of what is happening, we are filled not with dread of something strange, but filled with awe.”

Oops: CBS says William Shatner watched the total eclipse from 'Bloomingdale' instead of Bloomington

Shatner’s words were supported by NOTUS, the Jacobs School’s contemporary vocal ensemble, which performed original music written for the occasion by Dominick DiOrio, professor of music and director of NOTUS.

Shatner’s performance ended minutes before the eclipse.

Some members of the Marching Hundred climbed to the top row of Memorial Stadium to get a better look at the eclipse and appeared mesmerized by the event.

“It was really cool to be here,” said Stephen Shafer, a junior from South Bend. “It’s going to be unforgettable.”

Shafer, who plays sousaphone in the band and studies atmospheric science, said he had to give a presentation on the likely eclipse weather on Friday, and said Bloomington got “really lucky” with the lack of cloud cover.

“I don’t think I’d rather be in any other place right now,” he said, shortly after totality had ended.

Van Gunter, who had traveled to the stadium from Louisville, arrived about 20 minutes before totality, as he had gotten stuck in traffic shortly after leaving northern Kentucky.

He said he came to see William Shater, Janelle Monae and, of course, the eclipse.

“It’s impressive, you know,” he said.

4:50 p.m.: From Michigan to Ellettsville

Michael Charlot and his mother, Patricia Charlot, drove a minivan from East Lansing, Michigan, to Ellettsville Monday to witness the total solar eclipse.

The viewed it from a grassy knoll at Richland Plaza.

They had planned a five-hour drive northeast, but diverted their trip after cloud cover threatened to obscure the view.

They headed back to Michigan once the sun reemerged. Michael Charlot said his mom wasn't keen on the 6 a.m. departure time on Monday, but after seeing her second total solar eclipse — they went to Kentucky in 2017 — she was glad she came along.

She called the four minutes of afternoon darkness "spectacular, amazing."

4:30 p.m.: That's a wrap at Switchyard Park

The sun beat down on the crowd of hundreds at Switchyard Park on Monday afternoon before the total solar eclipse began at 1:49 p.m. with premium spots in shaded areas.

Collective ooohs and aaahs filled Switchyard Park at 3:04 p.m. when the sun was hidden by the moon. The 4-plus minutes of totality brought excited cheers from children and barks from dogs. Immediately after, some people began packing up their chairs and coolers to head out while most stayed to continue listening to bands and playing games.

Just as earlier in the day, soon it was the shaded areas that were full of people. Bands, silent during totality, began playing again as some people walked to their cars and others began playing Frisbee and cornhole.

Six food trucks, plus Chocolate Moose and Kona Ice, sold food and drinks to what may have been the biggest crowd in town at Switchyard Park. Bloomington Brewing Company and Upland Brewing provided adult beverages.

Bloomington Parks and Recreation staff manned the arts and crafts area for kids of all ages. Just before the eclipse began, Tara Brooke, event specialist, said there were only four more boxes for people to make an eclipse viewer. In all, five crafts were offered on Monday, with two – sun catchers and paper quilling – running out Sunday during the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra concert.

"It's been really fun planning for something like this," Brooke said while helping someone with one of the last eclipse boxes.

Maureen Barn traveled to Bloomington from the Chicago area. In 2017, she was in Carbondale, Illinois, for the solar eclipse and could have returned there again. But she decided to travel to Bloomington instead and was impressed with Switchyard Park and the city.

4:20 p.m.: Reflections on the eclipse

As an astronomy professor at California Institute of Technology, Andy Boden thought he knew what to expect during totality.

"I knew what it would look like, I knew it would get darker, I knew it would get colder," Boden said. "But there was a breathtaking emotional element to it that I wasn't expecting. It was really wonderous."

At Dunn Meadow, where hundreds of tourists, students and townies had gathered to watch the eclipse, that emotional element was palpable. As totality darkened the city, the lawn erupted into applause, cheers and laughter.

Elizabeth Hildebrand, an Indiana University student witnessing her first total solar eclipse, said it was an experience she would remember for the rest of her life.

"It was one of the coolest things I've ever seen," she said. "There's nothing like it."

Zoe Hatfield, another IU student, said she was originally planning to watch totality from her house to avoid crowds downtown. She was glad she changed her mind.

"It was so worth being around everyone," Hatfield said. "It's such a cool thing to experience, and to experience it with everyone else is really special."

3:30 p.m.: Plenty left to do today in Bloomington

Visitors are advised not to leave immediately after the eclipse to avoid creating traffic jams around Bloomington. We've gathered a few ideas for what to do post-eclipse.

If you decide to stay in Bloomington a little while longer — whether its traffic delays or you're a Bloomington area resident looking for something else to do on Monday — here are a few suggestions:

"2001: A Space Odyssey," 7:30-9:59 p.m. at John Waldron Arts Center, 122 S. Walnut St. Have your mind blown after the eclipse by watching Stanley Kubrick’s sci-fi masterpiece "2001: A Space Odyssey." Advance tickets are $8, $12 at the door. For more or tickets, go to https://tinyurl.com/33jbwyy2 on Constellation Stage & Screen's website.

"The Planets: An HD Odyssey," 8 p.m. at Indiana University Auditorium. See the IU Jacobs School of Music Concert Orchestra performance with Jeffery Meyer, conducting, and Mae Jemison as special guest narrator. For more information or tickets ($10-$30 from TicketMaster), go to www.iuauditorium.com, call 812-855-1103 or stop by the box office at 1211 E. Seventh St.

Ladies First, an all-female a cappella group at Indiana University, will perform 8-10 p.m. Monday at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, 114 E. Kirkwood Ave. Tickets are $10-$19 and can be purchased at the theater box office. The group, singing renditions of classic and popular music, has released seven albums; the latest is "In Full Bloom." For more info and tickets, go to buskirkchumley.org.

More: Staying another day in Bloomington? These are some of our favorite places to visit

3:20 p.m.: Eclipse is a special treat at Jiffy Treet

Around 50 people sat under clear skies in a grassy field next to Jiffy Treet in Ellettsville to witness the solar eclipse this afternoon. Cheers and applause accompanied the celestial wonder as the sun reappeared.

Earlier, 14-year-old Keiran Perera had ordered the Shadow and Light Delight Sundae, an eclipse special Jiffy Treet dreamed up to honor the special day.

The treat is a warm brownie between two layers of cake batter ice cream drizzled with dark chocolate sea salt topping and garnished with whipped cream, galaxy sprinkles and cosmic Oreos.

3:10 p.m.: Totality plunges Bloomington into dark for 4 minutes

2:40 p.m.: Mae Jemison speaks at Memorial Stadium

Dr. Mae Jemison, a former NASA astronaut, said at IU Memorial Stadium, that the eclipse should remind us of what unites us.

Jemison said the eclipse also should make us think about what we can do to make lives better for everyone, from other people to animals and plants.

“What are you going to do on the other side of this darkness?” Jemison asked.

Jemison's remarks were followed by IU President Pamela Whitten introducing William Shatner.

2:30 p.m.: Dark Side of the Moon at Switchyard Park

People are throwing Frisbees, playing cornhole and trying to balance on a slack line at Switchyard Park as a Comfortably Phree plays Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon." People are donning their eclipse glasses to look at the sun disappearing behind the moon. The temperature is beginning to drop slightly.

2:15 p.m.: Visitors have come from all over to see the total eclipse

Chicago resident Alejandro Zevallos, 24, and his 22-year-old brother Ignacio Zevallos found a prime spot to watch the eclipse at Muscatatuck Wildlife Refuge on Bottom Road northwest of Bloomington.

Ignacio travelled more than 5,000 miles from the family home in Peru to see today's eclipse. The brothers left Chicago around 5 a.m. to land at the refuge northwest of Bloomington.

Omar and Kathy Garcia traveled from their home in Miami, Florida. Omar Garcia said he watched the 2017 eclipse from a friend's home in Georgia. He remembered it as a "humbling and life changing" experience. He wanted to share the experience with his wife, so he tracked the path of totality north until he found an affordable room at the Best Western motel.

They flew to Indianapolis Friday and drove backroads to scout a viewing site, also ending up at Muscatatuck.

2 p.m.: The eclipse has begun!

Totality in Bloomington will begin at 3:04 p.m. and last just over 4 minutes.

Eclipse watchers should keep their protective glasses on until then. It is only safe to remove them during totality.

“But the moment you see a small sliver of sunlight coming out, look away. Put the glasses back on,” Indiana University optometrist Hin Cheung warned during a press conference last month. What’s called solar retinopathy can result in life-long damage to a person’s sight.

1:50 p.m.: Memorial Stadium still mostly empty

1:45 p.m.: Eclipse visitors find spots on courthouse lawn

Jason Zimmerman of Grayslake, Illinois, came to Bloomington to photograph the eclipse. As he set up his equipment on the Monroe County Courthouse lawn, surrounded by groups spread out on picnic blankets and perched on folding chairs, he said he has been taken by the beauty of Bloomington itself.

"It's just a great little college town," Zimmerman said. "I'm going to have to figure out a way to get this courthouse into my shot."

Bruce Holzman and Kathy Urbach, of Louisville, said they've also been enjoying Bloomington's charm.

"Everyone's been really nice and friendly," Holzman said.

Holzman and Urbach both saw a partial eclipse in 2017 in Kentucky, but that experience left them wanting more.

"I'm looking forward to a spiritual experience with this one," Urbach said, adding she had heard of others having such an experience.

One thing they aren't looking forward to, though, is the post-totality traffic. They booked a stay at the Hyatt Place in downtown nine months ago to avoid driving this evening.

"I think it's just going to be a nightmare," Urbach said. "So I have no problem sticking around town for a little longer."

1:30 p.m.: What it looks like at Jiffy Treet in Ellettsville

Traffic on Ind. 46 near Jiffy Treet is flowing like a Sunday afternoon.

The parking lot is full of cars, mostly with out-of-state plates, including Minnesota, Illinois and Ohio. Around a dozen people are camped out on the lawn.

People are enjoying cones and special treats celebrating the solar eclipse. Someone is directing traffic into the lot of the ice cream shop.

1:30 p.m.: An update from the Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center

Our colleagues at the Indy Star are reporting from the Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center on South Snoddy Road.

1:10 p.m.: Spectators begin trickling into Memorial Stadium

Spectators are trickling into Memorial Stadium, and the Marching Hundred has begun playing.

A few spectators also have found their way into the pit area, just before the stage.

Indiana University students Abby Groom and Dio Otto said they bought inexpensive tickets but were notified they had gotten a free upgrade to pit passes. The students were quite glad about the upgrade as they looked forward especially to seeing the performance of Janelle Monae, and, of course, the eclipse.

“You’ve got to do something fun for the eclipse,” Otto said.

1 p.m.: Marching Hundred opens the show at Memorial Stadium

As the IU Marching Hundred took a break before the big event, trombonist Lindy Lawrence said she is always grateful for the support from her family, which traveled from Georgetown to Bloomington this morning.

Lawrence, a senior, has played with the band all four years, but said today’s festivities differ materially from the usual athletic events.

“It just feels different, because usually we’re rooting for a team,” she said.

Also, today’s event is a lot more relaxed, as the band is dressed more casually — a stark contrast from the usual band uniforms.

Lawrence said she looks forward to the eclipse, which she witnessed in Kentucky in 2017, as well as the special guests.

“It’s always fun with the band,” she said.

12:30 p.m.: Memorial Stadium prepares to open; vendors set up near Dunn Meadow

Just ahead of the start of the Hoosier Cosmic Celebration at Memorial Stadium, the Star Trek theme played and band members erupted in cheers and applause. The stadium remained mostly empty 10 minutes before the doors were set to open to the public.

Vendors and pop-up shops have lined Kirkwood Avenue.

People are enjoying the day in Dunn Meadow by playing games.

Noon: At least one parking lot at Switchyard Park full

The "Lot Full" sign went up at 11:30 a.m. for the South Walnut Street parking lot for Switchyard Park.

Hundreds of people were scouting for the perfect location to place chairs, blankets, coolers, balloons and telescopes in the grassy areas while others staked claims to picnic tables and chairs in the pavilion area.

The band Dog Named Floyd was warming up on the outdoor stage while Alona Martini sat on the edge of the grassy area below. She and her friend Susan Lozano traveled from Raleigh, North Carolina, arriving Monday morning after spending Sunday night in Louisville. Martini said her friend planned the whole trip, researching the best spot to watch the total solar eclipse. Part of that research means the two will be spending the night in Bloomington before heading back south. In 2017, Lozano got stuck in "gridlock" traffic after watching the total solar eclipse, something she plans not to repeat. Martini, 72, said she was excited to be in Bloomington for the eclipse, something she doubts she'll have another chance to see in her lifetime.

Landon Roberson and Hann Burleson traveled eight hours from Ashville, North Carolina, to watch the eclipse in Switchyard Park. They placed their telescope on top of one of the hills near the outdoor stage. Burleson said she watched the 2017 solar eclipse in Tennessee with her family. The two picked Bloomington because it was the shortest distance from their home and "Bloomington was the only place left with hotels this close to the center of the path that weren't $500 a night," Burleson said.

Jason Roberts and Delany Cheek, from Naperville, Illinois, were atop the same hill in Switchyard Park with their 8-inch telescope pointed at the sun. They found their way to Bloomington after reading about activities happening on The Herald-Times website. The fact that Bloomington is in the middle of totality and had areas for viewing made it their perfect spot.

11:45 a.m.: Memorial Stadium tailgaters trickle in for Hoosier Cosmic Celebration

Memorial Stadium remained largely empty at 11:30 a.m., but a few out-of-town visitors were tailgating in the lot east of the stadium.

Mark and Jina Lawrence came to see the event and especially their daughter, Lindy Lawrence, an IU senior who plays trombone in the marching band.

Mark Lawrence, a senior ticket holder who frequently makes the trip to the stadium, said traffic coming from Georgetown, near Louisville, was “surprisingly light.”

The family experienced the eclipse in Kentucky in 2017, and expects significantly more traffic once the event concludes.

Cheryl and Darell Receveur and their daughter, Cheri, left Georgetown at 5:30 a.m. expecting heavy traffic.

“We didn’t know what to expect,” said Darell Receveur.

The family considered going to Evansville and Indianapolis but decided on Bloomington only a couple of days ago, given the weather forecast and length of the eclipse here.

The family has a connection to IU, as Cheri Receveur graduated last year from IU Southeast, with a degree in communication and theater.

The family also experienced the 2017 eclipse and, as the parents recently retired and their daughter is moving to Florida, the event in Bloomington made for a good opportunity to continue what has become a family tradition.

“This is a really beautiful moment for us,” Cheri Receveur said.

11:30 a.m.: Switchyard Park busy with eclipse revelers

11 a.m.: Downtown has parking, IU campus starting to come alive

Parking remains available around the courthouse square in downtown Bloomington as the sun breaks through and the cloud cover dissipates.

Approaching the Indiana University campus, Kirkwood Avenue is bustling with tourists near the Sample Gates. On campus, people have already begun claiming their spots in Dunn Meadow by laying out blankets. Food trucks are stationed across the street on Indiana Avenue.

10 a.m.: Light traffic into Bloomington from the south

Traffic on Ind. 446, between U.S. 50 in the south and Ind. 46 in the north was light, even past Cutright and Paynetown State Recreation areas.

Traffic on East Moores Pike and Hillside Road, between Ind. 446 and Walnut Street was lighter than normal, with a few joggers, pedestrians and dog walkers enjoying the relative calm.

Memorial Stadium was empty as soundchecks were performed ahead of today's event featuring William Shatner, Janelle Monae and Mae Jemison. The Hoosier Comic Celebration begins at 1 p.m.

9:30 a.m.: Bloomington streets quiet on what looks to be a beautiful day

Normally busy South Walnut Street was quiet this morning with no school buses or people rushing to work. A handful of cars and a garbage truck were stopped at the intersection of Walnut and Winslow waiting for the light to change. The only sign that today is April 8, when the total solar eclipse will be visible in Bloomington, was a vendor at the Marathon gas station hanging up T-shirts and other eclipse merchandise in his colorful tent.

Some areas outside of Bloomington are already full. A U.S. Forest Service Facebook post from about 9 a.m. this morning said the Grubb Ridge Trailhead parking lot is full and the Hays Trailhead parking lot had only two openings. The Forest Service said all designated campsites on the Charles C. Deam Wilderness peninsula are full. Also the Hickory Ridge Lookout Tower is closed as is the Pate Hollow Trail parking lot.

8:30 a.m.: Some residents offer parking, others prefer no stopping

While many Monroe County residents are opening their yards and properties for solar eclipse viewers to park, others are not so anxious to welcome visitors. Some rural landowners along Dittemore Road north of Bloomington have strung caution tape along their property boundaries to keep cars and people out.

Today's weather forecast for Bloomington, Indiana

The National Weather Service in Indianapolis is predicting a high of 74 degrees today and diminishing clouds throughout the day. The eclipse will begin at 1:49 p.m. By the time totality happens in Bloomington at 3:04 p.m., scattered high cirrus clouds will be all that's left.

"These clouds are likely to be thinner, not very opaque, and so it shouldn't completely impact viewing of the eclipse, outside of people just looking for good photography," Aaron Updike, a meteorologist at NWS Indianapolis, told The Herald-Times on Friday.

Traffic conditions into Bloomington, Indiana

So far so good. Google Maps shows light traffic on all roadways into Bloomington. A small amount of congestion is showing near Memorial Stadium where the Hoosier Cosmic Celebration will take place later today.

Coming to Bloomington to witness the eclipse today?

We have some tips for visitors coming into Bloomington today for the eclipse.

More: What are the best places to park in Bloomington during Monday's solar eclipse?

More: Not sure where to go in Bloomington to see the total solar eclipse? Here are some ideas

More: How to get around Bloomington, Indiana, if there are eclipse traffic jams

Where is there to eat in Bloomington today?

Bloomington's favorite food trucks are spread out today at several locations. Here's where you can find them.

Looking for somewhere to eat today? These restaurants are open.

What's closed today in Bloomington for the total solar eclipse

Click here for a list of places that are closed for today's eclipse. Additionally several restaurants and retailers plan to close briefly during the eclipse to allow their employees to witness this special event.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Bloomington Indiana 2024 solar eclipse weather, traffic, Hoosier cosmic celebration