40/29'S JACOB MURPHY IS LIVE TO TELL US HOW SOME ARE PREPARING. JACOB? HERE IN FORT SMITH YOU'LL HAVE A GOOD VIEW OF THE ECLIPSE BUT IF YOU GO TO THE SOUTH EAST A LITTLE YOU'LL FIND YOURSELF IN LOGAN COUNTY. WHICH IS RIGHT IN THE PATH OF TOTALITY. CITIES LIKE BOONEVILLE AND PARIS HAVE BEEN WORKING FOR YEARS TO GET READY FOR THE BIG DAY. <> "We don't know, we've never been through this, we've never had an eclipse in Paris, since Arkansas has been part of the United States, there's not been one." PARIS, ARKANSAS.. POPULATION OF JUST OVER THREE THOUSAND PEOPLE. <> "It's brand new to all of us, none of us are experts, but we're just saying, have fun with it." IN TWO MONTHS, THE SMALL TOWN WILL BE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE 2024 GREAT AMERICAN ECLIPSE. <> "I think it's a once in a lifetime opportunity to make memories." IT SEEMS THAT IT HAS BEEN A LIFETIME OF PREPARATIONS.. WITH THINGS HEATING UP BACK IN 20-23. <> "on April 8, when that those sites went live, within a couple of hours, every Airbnb in our area sold out." THE TOWN HAD TO SNAP INTO ACTION. <> "We realized quickly that we're gonna have to adapt and find ways for people to be able to stay here and enjoy it." WITH EVERYONE WORKING TO CREATE SPACE. <> "Local churches have fields and they're gonna have, you know, food, breakfast, lunch and dinner available, our fairgrounds have a really large area. And so they have section that off for RVs and tent camping." ACROSS LOGAN COUNTY.. BOONEVILLE ALSO PLANNING. <> "We're going to have several designated parking areas at our high school football field and then out between out east of town at our municipal baseball softball complex." HONING IN ON SAFETY. <> "were gonna have extra policemen on duty that day to help deal with traffic, all of our city employees will be working that day to help deal with traffic issues." BOTH CITIES EXCITED FOR THE BIG DAY.. READY FOR IT TO GET HERE. "Is it going to be a weight of the shoulders once it's over?" "Absolutely, laughing" TONIGHT THE PARIS CITY COUNCIL PASSED AN ORDINANCE THAT WILL LET PEOPLE RENT OUT PARTS OF THEIR PROPERTY AND ALSO WILL LET VENDORS BE IN PLACES WITHOUT A PERMIT FROM APRIL 4TH TO APRI
Arkansans celebrating April 2024 total solar eclipse with special events
Businesses, cities, and individual groups and families throughout the path of totality are preparing to host events celebrating the occasion.
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Updated: 12:21 PM CDT Apr 7, 2024
Arkansas Eclipse Guide | Weather Forecast | Totality Zone Map | Arkansas Map & Table | Traffic Outlook | Events | Closed Schools | How You Can Help NASA | EMS Plans | Eye Safety | Share Photos & VideosPeople across the state of Arkansas are ready to watch the moon cross between the Earth and Sun during the 2024 Great North American Eclipse.It's happening throughout the afternoon on April 8. Partial eclipse conditions will be seen in Arkansas starting at roughly 11:30 a.m. Shortly before 2:00 p.m., locations in the path of totality will enter total eclipse conditions for up to more than four minutes.Businesses, cities, and individual groups and families throughout the path of totality are preparing to host events celebrating the occasion. They're also giving people a place to enjoy the awe-inspiring experience.The University of Central Arkansas is one of these locations. Organizers of several events there will host free eclipse-viewing opportunities. People will receive free eclipse glasses at the Eclipse 2024 Watch Party at Estes Stadium. They can also enjoy arts and crafts, yard games, and NASA TV on the big screen. Food and vendors will be on hand. People can even talk to UCA scientists about the eclipse! That's happening from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on April 8.Also in Conway, Hendrix College is getting ready to host its Solar Odyssey. Students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends of the college will gather at Young-Wise Memorial Stadium to view the eclipse. People can listen to live music, make art, play games, and eat, before watching the eclipse through free glasses. The event runs from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. the day of the eclipse. Some people may prefer some music to go along with their celestial celebrations. The Blue Zipline & Farm's Solar Eclipse Festival in Mena is one of the places combing both. Just outside of Mena, from March 31 to April 11, people can enjoy live music, wildlife exhibits, fishing, astronomy presentations, zip-lining, and more. Tickets range from $198 to roughly $774, depending on the number of people and number of nights. Solar eclipse glasses will be available on site. Also in Mena, Avalon Keep Botanical Gardens is hosting a gospel and bluegrass "Musicfest." From April 5-8, people can enjoy concerts, fishing, hiking, and more. Campsites are available for people needing a place to stay. After the eclipse, the venue will host a group Wedding and Vow Renewal Ceremony in its MoonGate Garden. Admission rates run from $100-550.People can also travel to Russellville for a unique eclipse-viewing experience. "Total Eclipse of the Heart" is a three-day festival featuring hours-upon-hours of live music. Saturday, April 6, fifteen local and national blues acts will take the stage starting at 11:00 a.m., and they won't leave until 9:00 p.m.! Performers from Branson, Missouri will take the trip to the River Valley that Sunday. They'll play from 12:00 to 8:00 p.m. Beatles cover band "Liverpool Legends" will perform the day of the eclipse, alongside "Carmen Lupus." Besides music, people who attend can enjoy a cornhole tournament, axe throwing, rock climbing wall, hot air balloons, and much more."Elope at the Eclipse" is happening in conjunction with that event. Dozens of couples will begin the rest of their lives together just before the eclipse enters the "totality" stage. All they need is a marriage license, and "Total Eclipse of the Heart" organizers say they will reimburse that fee!People can take part in a three-day concert series from April 6-8 in Little Rock. It features performances by the Rodney Black Collective & All-Star Friends, Ward Davis, and The Machine, performing Pink Floyd. Organizers say concerts will happen rain or shine. They're happening at the First Security Amphitheater in the River Market.The Morrilton Chamber of Commerce is hosting its own Eclipse Concert Series. The event, happening April 5-7, includes performances by The Legendary Pacers, The Kendall's, and Jana Jae. Tickets to each concert are $30 apiece. They're happening at the Rialto Community Arts Center in downtown Morrilton, starting each night at 7:00 p.m.Ron Coleman Mining, based in Jessieville, is hosting a Crystal Eclipse Music Festival from April 6-8. It'll feature live music, camping, food trucks, zip-lining, crystal digging, and more. Tickets cost $55-305. Cedar Glades Park in Hot Springs will play host to the "Ecliptic Festival." According to event organizers, from April 5-8, people can enjoy four days of "music, science, art, and wonder." At least fourteen acts and artists will take the stage, alongside a long list of speakers, including scientists, writers, and historians. A four-day pass costs $385, plus fees. The Mid-America Science Museum hosting an eclipse-day watch party. Tickets to the family friendly event are $25 per person, and for another $15 per person the museum will provide lunch. Admission includes a pair of solar glasses, free shows at the museum's digital planetarium, and access to all museum exhibits. There will also be fun activities for kids at the Tinkering Studio.Little Rock non-profit SoMa 501 will hold "SoMa in the Dark" on April 5, 6, and 8. From 4:00 to 9:00 p.m. on the fifth, shops and restaurants on Main Street Little Rock will be open late, offering specials. There will also be a 2.29 mile glow run/walk from the corner of 12th and a Main to 17th and Main that loops through the surrounding neighborhood. Events on the sixth include art exhibits, educational presentations, and a parade. The eclipse-day watch party on Main Street starts at 11:00 a.m.The Sevier County Chamber of Commerce confirmed there are a number of sites available for people to freely view the eclipse. That includes the campgrounds at De Queen and Gillham Lakes, where those who are so inclined can pay the usage fees to stay multiple days. There are also several private sites for viewing the eclipse.Several farm-or-ranch-owning families across the state are also renting out space for people needing a place to camp ahead of the eclipse. The following sites will provide not only a place to view the eclipse, but varying forms of entertainment in the days leading up to the event:Bounds Recreational Camping; Morrilton, ARRafter Rockin A Farm; Hector, AREclipse on the Farm; Morrilton, AR
Arkansas Eclipse Guide | Weather Forecast | Totality Zone Map | Arkansas Map & Table | Traffic Outlook | Events | Closed Schools | How You Can Help NASA | EMS Plans | Eye Safety | Share Photos & Videos
People across the state of Arkansas are ready to watch the moon cross between the Earth and Sun during the 2024 Great North American Eclipse.
It's happening throughout the afternoon on April 8. Partial eclipse conditions will be seen in Arkansas starting at roughly 11:30 a.m. Shortly before 2:00 p.m., locations in the path of totality will enter total eclipse conditions for up to more than four minutes.
Businesses, cities, and individual groups and families throughout the path of totality are preparing to host events celebrating the occasion. They're also giving people a place to enjoy the awe-inspiring experience.
The University of Central Arkansas is one of these locations. Organizers of several events there will host free eclipse-viewing opportunities. People will receive free eclipse glasses at the Eclipse 2024 Watch Party at Estes Stadium. They can also enjoy arts and crafts, yard games, and NASA TV on the big screen. Food and vendors will be on hand. People can even talk to UCA scientists about the eclipse! That's happening from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on April 8.
Also in Conway, Hendrix College is getting ready to host its Solar Odyssey. Students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends of the college will gather at Young-Wise Memorial Stadium to view the eclipse. People can listen to live music, make art, play games, and eat, before watching the eclipse through free glasses. The event runs from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. the day of the eclipse.
Some people may prefer some music to go along with their celestial celebrations. The Blue Zipline & Farm's Solar Eclipse Festival in Mena is one of the places combing both. Just outside of Mena, from March 31 to April 11, people can enjoy live music, wildlife exhibits, fishing, astronomy presentations, zip-lining, and more. Tickets range from $198 to roughly $774, depending on the number of people and number of nights. Solar eclipse glasses will be available on site.
Also in Mena, Avalon Keep Botanical Gardens is hosting a gospel and bluegrass "Musicfest." From April 5-8, people can enjoy concerts, fishing, hiking, and more. Campsites are available for people needing a place to stay. After the eclipse, the venue will host a group Wedding and Vow Renewal Ceremony in its MoonGate Garden. Admission rates run from $100-550.
People can also travel to Russellville for a unique eclipse-viewing experience. "Total Eclipse of the Heart" is a three-day festival featuring hours-upon-hours of live music. Saturday, April 6, fifteen local and national blues acts will take the stage starting at 11:00 a.m., and they won't leave until 9:00 p.m.! Performers from Branson, Missouri will take the trip to the River Valley that Sunday. They'll play from 12:00 to 8:00 p.m. Beatles cover band "Liverpool Legends" will perform the day of the eclipse, alongside "Carmen Lupus." Besides music, people who attend can enjoy a cornhole tournament, axe throwing, rock climbing wall, hot air balloons, and much more.
"Elope at the Eclipse" is happening in conjunction with that event. Dozens of couples will begin the rest of their lives together just before the eclipse enters the "totality" stage. All they need is a marriage license, and "Total Eclipse of the Heart" organizers say they will reimburse that fee!
People can take part in a three-day concert series from April 6-8 in Little Rock. It features performances by the Rodney Black Collective & All-Star Friends, Ward Davis, and The Machine, performing Pink Floyd. Organizers say concerts will happen rain or shine. They're happening at the First Security Amphitheater in the River Market.
The Morrilton Chamber of Commerce is hosting its own Eclipse Concert Series. The event, happening April 5-7, includes performances by The Legendary Pacers, The Kendall's, and Jana Jae. Tickets to each concert are $30 apiece. They're happening at the Rialto Community Arts Center in downtown Morrilton, starting each night at 7:00 p.m.
Ron Coleman Mining, based in Jessieville, is hosting a Crystal Eclipse Music Festival from April 6-8. It'll feature live music, camping, food trucks, zip-lining, crystal digging, and more. Tickets cost $55-305.
Cedar Glades Park in Hot Springs will play host to the "Ecliptic Festival." According to event organizers, from April 5-8, people can enjoy four days of "music, science, art, and wonder." At least fourteen acts and artists will take the stage, alongside a long list of speakers, including scientists, writers, and historians. A four-day pass costs $385, plus fees.
The Mid-America Science Museum hosting an eclipse-day watch party. Tickets to the family friendly event are $25 per person, and for another $15 per person the museum will provide lunch. Admission includes a pair of solar glasses, free shows at the museum's digital planetarium, and access to all museum exhibits. There will also be fun activities for kids at the Tinkering Studio.
Little Rock non-profit SoMa 501 will hold "SoMa in the Dark" on April 5, 6, and 8. From 4:00 to 9:00 p.m. on the fifth, shops and restaurants on Main Street Little Rock will be open late, offering specials. There will also be a 2.29 mile glow run/walk from the corner of 12th and a Main to 17th and Main that loops through the surrounding neighborhood. Events on the sixth include art exhibits, educational presentations, and a parade. The eclipse-day watch party on Main Street starts at 11:00 a.m.
The Sevier County Chamber of Commerce confirmed there are a number of sites available for people to freely view the eclipse. That includes the campgrounds at De Queen and Gillham Lakes, where those who are so inclined can pay the usage fees to stay multiple days. There are also several private sites for viewing the eclipse.
Several farm-or-ranch-owning families across the state are also renting out space for people needing a place to camp ahead of the eclipse. The following sites will provide not only a place to view the eclipse, but varying forms of entertainment in the days leading up to the event:
Bounds Recreational Camping; Morrilton, AR
Rafter Rockin A Farm; Hector, AR
Eclipse on the Farm; Morrilton, AR
