The solar eclipse, taking place in just under three weeks, is turning into a Mother Nature money-maker for towns in the path of totality.
From t-shirts to treats, it's safe to say Weiser has eclipse fever.
Patrick Nauman, owner of Weiser Classic Candy, created, along with his bakers, a special dessert for the occasion -- a dark chocolate sugar cookie filled with lemon truffle.
"It is amazing," Nauman said. "It's sweet and tart all at the same time and, of course, the lemon is eclipsed by the dark chocolate sugar cookie on the outside."
After a rough winter, Weiser business owners say they're looking forward to the increase in foot traffic, which provide a significant boost to the local economy.
"This has just been a godsend, really, from Mother Nature, as far as an economic boost that every business in town is going to wind up reaping the benefit from," Nauman said. "Small or large, service-oriented or not, everyone is going to see some economic gain from this."
About 60,000 tourists are expected to visit the Weiser area for the total solar eclipse -- that's about 10 times the town's current population.
And along Highway 95, Charles Lamm, store owner and self-proclaimed "eclipsecador," has already met a few tourists.
"I've had people from Alabama, Texas, Washington," Lamm said. "They had to stop in. They couldn't miss my signs."
Lamm even created a 14-foot-tall iron statue of a super hero he's calling the "Solar Eclipse Man."
"He'll be ready to protect the sun, the moon and the earth from all of the bad guys when the eclipse comes around," Lamm said.
Those eclipse cookies from Weiser Classic Candy are on sale now. They're also being sold at the Boise Airport, which will certainly put tourists in the eclipse spirit.
