• Mihai Coman | Dreamstime
• Spectators looking up at the partial solar eclipse in New York in 2017

The Super Bowl isn't coming to Vermont anytime soon, but this spring, we might find out what it's like to host one.

A Super Bowl's worth of visitors could be headed to Vermont to see the solar eclipse on April 8. The path of total darkness — aka the "path of totality" — runs from Mexico to Eastern Canada and passes directly over parts of Vermont, including Middlebury, Burlington and St. Albans. For three minutes, starting at about 3:26 p.m., the sun will be completely blotted out by the moon.

Total eclipses viewable from populated areas are relatively rare, and people travel to see them. The last one visible from the U.S. happened in 2017. Nearly 200,000 visitors trekked to Wyoming for a glimpse of it; 300,000 tourists were said to have descended on eastern Idaho.

This year's celestial spectacle is a must-see event, at least according to the New York Times. It ranked "the path of totality" as its No. 1 travel destination for 2024.

A December article in Forbes estimated that up to 4 million eclipse viewers will flock to the path of totality. It quoted Polly White, cofounder of GreatAmericanEclipse.com: "It's like having 50 Super Bowls happening at the same time all across the country," she said.

Many of those spectators will end up in Texas, Indiana and Ohio. But given the demand at local hotels, Vermont should expect an influx of eclipse enthusiasts, too. Anne Wallace Allen reported in November that the 900-room hotel at Jay Peak, located in the path of totality, was nearly full, and many short-term rentals around the state were already booked.

"Smaller mom-and-pop operations are seeing a boost in activity, too," Allen reported. "Wendy Monninger, owner of the 10-room Marshfield Inn & Motel, got her first room reservation for the eclipse weekend in March 2021." The guest told Monninger, "I want to see an eclipse before I die."

Indeed, viewing a total eclipse in Vermont is likely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The last time the Green Mountain State was in the path of totality was 1932; it won't happen again until 2106.

Seven Days has already started reporting on the eclipse. Our writers have covered where to see it, why it's so rare and how to protect your eyes while viewing it. This week's issue contains a dispatch from correspondent Steve Goldstein, who attended an eclipse planning meeting in Shelburne; our cover illustration riffs on the eclipse, too. In the coming months, our news team will continue to report on how various entities are preparing for the occasion.

We're also gathering info on eclipse-related events and watch parties, including the Whiteout at Jay Peak, St. Albans' Totality in Taylor Park and Burlington's ObscuraBTV festival. Find all of that coverage in our 2024 Vermont Solar Eclipse Guide at sevendaysvt.com/eclipse, along with suggested itineraries of what to see, do and eat in towns that will go dark. The Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing is underwriting our efforts.

We're planning a print guide, too, inside the April 3 issue of Seven Days. Then, on the day of, our reporters, multimedia producers and photographers will be fanning out all over Vermont to capture the moment.

I first heard about this year's eclipse in 2021 from my cousin Ryan, who lives in Raleigh, N.C. She asked if she and her husband and daughter could stay with us that weekend. Hers was the first request I got, but not the last. Most recently, one of Seven Days' nationally syndicated cartoonists emailed asking if any of us had a couch he could crash on.

Thinking about renting out your home to last-minute eclipse-peepers like him? The Vermont Short-Term Rental Alliance is hosting a webinar on February 12 to help.

Of course, the weather forecast is likely the best predictor of whether tons of people actually show up. It'll be a lot more exciting to watch the sun disappear on a day we can see it.