Small town prepares for extra business over weekend

HARDY, Ark. (KAIT) - Northeast Arkansas will begin to see eclipse watchers come into town on Friday.

In one Sharp County town, things are buzzing as the anticipation builds.

Though the city of Hardy has no large events planned, they’re still anticipating thousands to embark on the town to watch the phenomenon.

Businesses in the area have been preparing for this day for months.

Clearwater Corner Shop Co-Owner Drew Henson is asking the question many people are. How many will show?

“We’re just trying to imagine people coming in from all over the country and how do you even do that,” Henson asked.

He says his store on Main Street in Downtown Hardy can only hold so many people.

“On a given Saturday afternoon we might normally have 40-50 people in the store. If 5x that, we can’t hand 400-500 at one time,” Henson said.

His shop has been ordering additional merchandise for a while now.

He said he’s hoping all in the area have a good time, and if they see extra revenue, it’s just a bonus.

“We put people before dollars. We don’t look at them as a dollar. Revenue, if we do take extra revenue, it’ll be a blessing for us to help recover for the past slow season,” Henson added.

The city has multiple places to stay, including the Spring River Lodge.

“We will be, I’m sure, full. We have a few rooms available, but they are filling up fast,” Lodge Manager Dana Horrell stated.

Horrell believes the parking lot will be full of guests on the day of the eclipse.

“We have a very large parking lot for viewing. People have a lot of room up here. We’re on top of a hill, so you should be able to see the eclipse good,” Horrell said.

Just up the road from the lodge, Bigger’s Bed and Breakfast said as of Friday afternoon, it had one room available but expects it to go fast.

The local grocery store, Bill’s Cash Saver, said it’s already seen a slew of people coming through its doors.

“We’re keeping the lines going, as far as checking out and getting people out. Everything is stocked. We just got a truck today,” Officer Manager Robin Gordon explained.

All three say the eclipse is an opportunity to see all the Spring River town offers.

“I just think it’s a great opportunity to come out and see our small town here in Hardy. I know there are other festivals going on,” Horrell added.

The city said its police and fire departments are ready for the crowds.

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