The beauty and relaxation of Kent brought in many people for the eclipse. Despite the idea of casualness, the town was anything but.

Many Kent residents joined guests throughout downtown to enjoy the celestial event. Shouts of excitement from kids running between groups, couples admiring the shops, walking  hand-in-hand and students showing their parents around campus all joined together by the occasion.

Although Cleveland is much more popular in the nation than the small college town, people found Kent to be much more alluring. 

Dan and Susan McClory have been Kent citizens for around 30 years, and the simplicity is what kept them here instead of traveling.

“I’m not interested in a stage show,” Dan said. “I want to relax and sit on a patio to just enjoy the eclipse.”

They decided they would watch from North Water Brewing Company, but many others picked spots in the center of the road.

Several food trucks lined up along North Water Street, and even more people lined up for a taste of the local cuisine.

Despite the stuffed streets, some opted for spots with eclipsed theme menu items like Tree City Coffee, 157 Lounge and Bellieria. Every street, corner, alley and shop was full of bustling crowds geared with eclipse shirts and glasses.

Kent even managed to pull people from out of state, and they have a pinned map to prove it.

Holly Maurer-Klein and Paul Klein made the hour-and-a-half trip from Pittsburgh to visit. Klein lived in Akron when he was younger, and while thinking of places to see the total eclipse, he remembered Kent.

“We didn’t want the big stuff,” Maurer-Klein said. “We stopped to see the college campus and figured this would be nice and laid back.”

They particularly liked the writing and reading poetry at the Wick Poetry Center and the lively community that came with sitting near others. 

Ultimately, that was the goal for Kent. To provide a setting where people could come together to view the celestial event. 

What really tied everything together was how the effort came from the many businesses that call Kent home. The people of the city came together by creating merch, menu items and decorations to fit the eclipse theme.

The sun and moon aligned with each other and separated again, but it brought people together more than ever.