Crowds coming for eclipse can leave with piece of C.O.

The eclipse is not only bringing people from all over the world to Central Oregon, it’s bringing Central Oregon to the world.

“It’s definitely putting Madras on the map,” Angie Ludi owner of The White Buffalo Boutique in Madras said Thursday.

Ludi is stocked and ready to share locally made eclipse-themed merchandise with the masses.

“These are silicone and they’re made from a company in Bend,” she said describing Silipints, a popular drinkware sold at festivals in the area.

Her store will have everything from handcrafted eclipse jewelry to bath soaps. She said she’s ready for the madness to begin.

“It’s kind of like planning for a wedding, where you’ve got all the people coming, and it’s just going to be exciting once everybody gets here,” she said.

The influx of people will put a strain on resources in the area, but a novel idea could help with that while also giving the world a taste of the region.

“We’re going to try to showcase some local farmers doing what local farmers do, producing great food,” said Andrew Gunther, the executive director of A Greener World.

The nonprofit identifies, certifies and promotes sustainable farming. They’re organizing a pop-up food court next to the post office that will no doubt help with hungry crowds.

“How many people are actually coming? Is it 250,000? Is it a million? Nobody really knows,” Gunther said. “But having a venue here where we’ve got more food and we’ve got more vendors is obviously going to help.”

There will be a mix of about a dozen food trucks and vendors, with room for about five more. They’ll be highlighting local grub. Hopefully people who come for the view will leave with a taste of Central Oregon.

For more information on the non-profit A Greener World, visit https://agreenerworld.org/