A list of solar eclipse events across the nation from Texas to Maine
On April 8, the moon will obscure the entire face of the sun, resulting in a few minutes-long transformation of day into night. Over a dozen lucky U.S. states are located in the eclipse’s path of totality, spanning from Texas to Maine – and they’re getting ready to welcome travelers for the exceptional natural phenomenon.
Experts expect up to 4 million people to tune in to this year's total solar eclipse, mainly because it will be two minutes longer than 2017’s, according to HotelPlanner CEO Tim Hentschel.
“Simply put, this will be one of the most viewed celestial events in history,” he said in a statement.
Since the eclipse occurs on a Monday, Hentschel says most travelers will make a long weekend of it.
Adding even more excitement is that the next total solar eclipse won’t be for another 20 years.
Travelers who want to see the celestial event can choose from a number of celebrations and viewing parties across the country. These range from an event that also brings awareness to what life is like for the visually impaired in Rochester, New York, to a chance to learn about astronomy from an Indigenous perspective to a viewing with NASA in the “Racing Capital of the World.”
Here’s a list of some of the major events for the total solar eclipse on April 8 in New York, Texas, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Arkansas, Illinois, Maine, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C.
Want to see the total solar eclipse? You can see it from national parks, but their skies offer much more
New York eclipse public events
? People in Rochester will experience the total solar eclipse for three minutes and 38 seconds, and the city is hosting a slew of events April 6-8. On the day of the eclipse, there will be a free Rochester Public Market with entertainment, beer and chocolate tastings and sensory-friendly spaces. ROC the Eclipse Festival will celebrate the total solar eclipse with a three-day festival April 6-8 at the Rochester Museum and Science Center featuring hands-on activities, speakers, live entertainment, eclipse merchandise, food trucks and more.
? The Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester will celebrate the 2024 eclipse with three days of festivities themed around playing with light. Guests will be able to create art on a Lite-Brite-like board, craft a kaleidoscope, make shadow puppets in a shadow puppet theater and more.
? On April 8 at Genesee Valley Field House in Rochester, there will be events and activities to help people better understand what life is like with “partial or total occlusion every day.” These hands-on events include light sound box interpreting, tactile exhibits, space science experts, audio darts, tandem biking, guide training, beep baseball, tactile map-building, audio description, free tax preparation and 3D printing.
? Genesee Country Village & Museum in Rochester will offer the opportunity to experience totality in a 19th-century historic village April 5-7.
? Niagara Falls is partnering with NASA on a series of free eclipse events and exhibitions April 4-8. Events will be held at Niagara Falls Public Libraries, the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center, the Aquarium of Niagara, the Niagara Power Vista, the Niagara Falls Culinary Institute and Niagara Falls State Park. There will also be day-of events, with the best vantage points at Niagara Falls State Park’s Terrapin Point, Prospect Point or Observation Tower. That evening, there will be a fireworks display on Old Falls Street in downtown Niagara Falls, courtesy of Wegmans.
? The new Niagara Parks Power Station + Tunnel will host several events, such as a mobile planetarium and interactive talks with NASA and CSA scientists, including a guest speaker who will discuss astronomy from an Indigenous perspective.
? In Syracuse, the Total Eclipse of the Park at historic NBT Bank Stadium will be on April 8. Gates to the ballpark open at 2:30 p.m. so fans can view the total solar eclipse, and the first 10,000 fans will receive commemorative eclipse glasses. Following the eclipse, the Syracuse Mets will play the Worcester Red Sox.
? On April 8, from noon until 4 p.m., the Museum of Science and Technology will host a free, family-friendly solar eclipse festival in downtown Syracuse.
Texas eclipse public events
? At Dallas’s H?tel Swexan, hotel guests are invited to the 20th-floor rooftop to view the solar eclipse with complimentary glasses and a telescope. The hotel is also hosting a Breathe Meditation and Wellness event on the evening of the solar eclipse, where guests can participate in New Moon rituals, meditation, and a restorative sound bath.
? Downtown Dallas will host free events April 5-8 featuring live music, food trucks and family-friendly activities. The official watch party will take place at the Main Street Garden.
? The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Science Foundation and NASA will host the free Sun, Moon, and You solar eclipse viewing event at the historical Cotton Bowl Stadium in downtown Dallas with guest speaker Neil deGrasse Tyson. STEM organizations will be onsite throughout the stadium’s concourse with activities and handouts and telescopes will be available.
? Those who want to take to the skies can attend the 2024 Solar Eclipse Festival at Grapetown, a vineyard in Fredericksburg. Guests can take hot air balloon rides – weather permitting, of course – and experience a farm-to-table dinner, live music and wine tasting.
? In Bandera, the Ground Zero Music Fest will be a five-day music festival from April 4-9. The event schedule includes viewing the solar eclipse as well as a space-themed costume party.
? The town of Waco will host the Eclipse Over Texas event with telescopes and educational activities, food trucks and more. Astronomers from Lowell Observatory and Baylor University will also be in attendance.
? San Antonio’s Six Flags Fiesta Texas offers special eclipse packages to park guests who coincide their visit with the eclipse, offering souvenir T-shirts, eclipse glasses, a commemorative lanyard and a fireworks show.
? The Plaza San Antonio Hotel & Spa will open to the public for a free all-day eclipse event, including outdoor yoga, an astrology speaker and party.
? At Austin Central Library in Austin, there will be an eclipse viewing on April 8 open to the public with a solar telescope and activities for kids.
? Located in the path of totality, Arch Ray Resort in the Texas Hill Country will host a two-day Arch Ray Solar Eclipse Fest on April 7-8. Performers include the Goo Goo Dolls, Fastball, Switchfoot, Lane Smith and more. Guests have overnight accommodations for RV boondocking and access to the resort's winery, brewery, distillery and farm-to-table restaurant.
Indiana eclipse public events
? On April 8 at 3:06 p.m., Indianapolis will experience the total solar eclipse for three minutes and 46 seconds. Travelers can attend the Indy Eclipse Weekend taking place between April 5 and 8 around the city, also known as the “Racing Capital of the World.” Indianapolis Motor Speedway was chosen by NASA as one of the few broadcast locations, and NASA experts will be on-hand to answer questions about the scientific phenomenon.
? The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis will host an Eclipse Extravaganza on April 8 with giveaways and activities to celebrate the historic event.
? White River State Park will host Lunacy! on April 8 with viewing stations, more than 20 food trucks, yoga and Tabata classes, a brass quintet performance by the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, and more.
? If a Burning Man-like festival is more your thing, head to the Indianapolis Museum of Art for the Total Eclipse of the Art, an event featuring fire performers, DJs, festivities, and food and drink vendors.
? The Indiana State Museum will offer hands-on Earth and moon activities and demonstrations throughout the day. When it’s time, guests can grab a spot on the front lawn to view the solar eclipse. The Indiana State Fairgrounds will also offer family activities throughout the day. A stage will host live music, a bar will serve drinks, and local food trucks will offer eclipse-themed offerings.
? Conner Prairie, a living history museum in Indianapolis, will host Hoosier astronaut Mark Brown, who will teach what life was like living and working in space. Guests can also experience a specialized dance performance created to reflect the theme of light and shadow, and they can get up and dance to songs by Stella Luna & the Satellites.
? On April 8, Indiana University in Bloomington will host the Hoosier Cosmic Celebration at Memorial Stadium. Actor William Shatner will narrate the eclipse, joined by artists and choreographers from IU. Shatner will also be joined by Grammy Award-nominated singer, songwriter and actress Janelle Monáe and former NASA astronaut Dr. Mae Jemison.
? Bloomington’s Switchyard Park will host a series of free eclipse-related events and activities leading up to the eclipse starting on April 5, including educational events and a movie screening of “Hidden Figures.” On April 8, there will be the Celestial Spectacle Solar Eclipse Viewing Event with food trucks, a beer garden, live music and eclipse viewing.
? An hour and a half from Cincinnati, the small city of Seymour is bracing itself for a threefold increase in population for the eclipse. The city will host a festival from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on April 7 in anticipation of the eclipse, featuring educational programming, entertainment and food vendors.
Kentucky eclipse public events
? Louisville's Kentucky Science Center will have special programming available on April 8 included with general admission tickets.
? One of nine U.S. cities designated as a UNESCO Creative City, Paducah will host several eclipse-themed events. On April 7 and 8, a community street festival called X Marks the Spot will take over the riverfront. The National Quilt Museum will host a "Quilt on the Lawn" event for viewing the eclipse with visitors encouraged to bring a picnic quilt.
Ohio eclipse public events
? The Cleveland region is home to one of three national parks on the path, Cuyahoga Valley. Travelers to the region will experience the total eclipse for almost four minutes. They can also enjoy unobstructed views of the eclipse over Lake Erie.
? The Cleveland region is home to the only NASA visitors center on the path of totality, at the NASA Glenn Research Center. From April 6-8, visitors can enjoy special kid-friendly science programming from the visitors center and the Great Lakes Science Center at the Total Eclipse Fest. On April 7, the Cleveland Orchestra will perform a free “Out of this World” concert at the festival. Images from the Hubble Telescope and NASA archives will be accompanied by space-themed songs like the music from “Star Wars.”
? The University Circle neighborhood community and the Cleveland Museum of Natural History will host a Total on the Oval viewing party April 8 on Wade Oval, a central green space in Cleveland.
? The Richland County Fairgrounds in Mansfield will transform into a viewing party and campsite April 5-8 with live music, local vendors and food trucks.
? In Mansfield, the 900-acre Malabar Farm State Park will be in the path of totality and offer unobscured visibility. Visitors can bring blankets and patron food trucks on the day of the eclipse.
Arkansas eclipse public events
? Russellville will experience the eclipse for four minutes and 11 seconds of totality. The town will host the Eclipse Market 2024 from April 5 to 8 on its Main Street featuring local vendors and small businesses. On eclipse day, the city will host its first Moon Over Main festival with entertainment, food vendors, live music and NASA speakers.
? The Ecliptic Festival is a four-day music, art and science festival April 5-8 in Hot Springs National Park. Presented by Atlas Obscura, the festival's lineup includes Angel Olsen, Dengue Fever, "Mythbusters" host Adam Savage as well as authors, filmmakers and astronomers.
Illinois eclipse public events
? Southern Illinois University Carbondale was on the path of totality for the 2017 solar eclipse, and it will be again this year. In partnership with NASA, the university will host the Southern Illinois Crossroads Eclipse Festival from April 5-8 with live entertainment and activities. When it’s time, guests can gather at Saluki Stadium for a guided eclipse experience with help from the Adler Planetarium of Chicago.
? The Shawnee Wine Trail near Pomona will also be on the path of totality, and its many wineries are offering unique celebrations for the event, including wine dinners, music events and RV parking.
Maine eclipse public events
? Parts of Maine will be in the path of totality. In fact, it'll be the last state in the U.S. to see the event. Green spaces across Aroostook County are being designated as “Star Parks” and will provide parking, trash and restroom facilities.
? Visitors to the small town of Houlton can witness the eclipse from Riverfront Park, Monument Park and Star Park on Main Street. Houlton International Airport will also have live music, food trucks, planes on display, and a “beautiful open sky view” during the eclipse.
? Presque Isle will have events starting April 3, including a free Eclipse Extravaganza at the Francis Malcolm Science Center on April 8 during the eclipse.
? The Versant Power Astronomy Center staff will be in Jackman on April 7 and 8 to host public stargazing and eclipse viewing.
Pennsylvania eclipse public events
? Erie is the only Pennsylvania city in the path of totality, including the entire shoreline of Lake Erie. Eclipse viewers can set up at Liberty Park, the park’s Highmark Amphitheater, the Bayfront Promenade and Bayfront District.
? Erie will host an eclipse-viewing event with Dr. David Horne, a Gannon University astronomer and professor, downtown at Perry Square on April 8. Solar-viewing telescopes will also be set up for people to see the celestial phenomenon. No eclipse-viewing glasses are required.
? Lake Erie Speedway on April 8 will have a viewing party and festival for the entire family.
? Mercyhurst University will also be opening its gates to the public for free eclipse-viewing from its Saxon Stadium. Activities include educational talks and classes.
? Also known for its wine country, Lake Erie will also host a three-day “Lights Out” eclipse and wine event, featuring 21 of its wineries, April 5-8. Each winery will offer an eclipse-themed food item with a tasting of three wines. Then, you can see the eclipse at your host winery.
Washington, D.C., eclipse public events
? Although the nation's capital will not be in the path of totality, it will experience a partial solar eclipse. The city is hosting the free Solar Eclipse Festival on the National Mall on April 8 from noon until 4 p.m. In partnership with the Smithsonian Museums, there will be activity stations and educational programming, including telescope viewing.
Kathleen Wong is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Hawaii. You can reach her at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Eclipse 2024 events near me: A list of public festivities on April 8
