City recorder Jessica Morgan said nearly 50,000 to 60,000 people are expected in town to see the two minutes, 39 seconds of totality, the Knoxville News-Sentinel reported.
“We’re telling residents to stock up on food and medication and don’t drive anywhere Sunday or Monday. It is wild,” Morgan said.
The town has set up a website touting "the sweetest view in America" and is planning a massive party for the eclipse.
Chip Gruver is a Sweetwater native who lives in Minnesota. He has known about the eclipse since 2010.
"I said, 'Oh my goodness, that goes right through Sweetwater!'" he told the Madisonville Advocate & Democrat.
Gruver promptly asked his boss to reserve Aug. 21, 2017, as a vacation day, the Advocate & Democrat reported.
The town is holding a street festival from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the News-Sentinel reported. The total eclipse will occur just after 2:30 p.m.
Morgan told the Advocate & Democrat that Sweetwater has generated at least $44,000 in revenue from parking places and eclipse items such as T-shirts.
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