The 2024 Complete Photo voltaic Eclipse is probably the most spectacular pure occasion of the yr – and Atlas Obscura’s Ecliptic Competition is likely one of the finest locations to expertise it. The pageant is a 4-day intriguing mixture of science seminars, music pageant, and day on the public park. Nevertheless it’s additionally restricted to 4,000 attendees, so you will need to purchase your ticket quick.
The pageant is held at a municipal park in Scorching Springs, Arkansas. Climate in early April in Scorching Springs is often gentle, with a very good probability for clear skies.
Learn this information to be taught extra about Atlas Obscura, the Ecliptic Competition, and see some recommendations on planning and packing for this occasion.
What’s Atlas Obscura?
In 2009, creator Joshua Foer and documentary filmmaker Dylan Thuras launched the Atlas Obscura web site. The web site is a compendium of obscure, intriguing locations usually not present in guidebooks.
Since its founding, one of many core aims of Atlas Obscura has been to create a real-world group of engaged explorers who do extra than simply add obscure locations to a bucket listing. Atlas Obscura hosts journeys world wide and experiences led by native guides.
In 2016, Foer, Thuras, and Ella Morton revealed Atlas Obscura: An Explorer’s Information to the World’s Hidden Wonders. Now in its second version, the 480-page guide options a number of the most obscure and fascinating locations to go to world wide. In 2021, Thuras and Cecily Wong revealed Gastro Obscura: A Meals Adventurer’s Information.
What’s the Ecliptic Competition?
Atlas Obscura’s Ecliptic Competition is a 4-day celebration that includes visitor audio system, musical performances, and celestial occasions from April 5 till April 8, 2024.
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The oldsters at Atlas Obscura partnered with Valley of the Vapors organizers, an annual impartial musical pageant in Scorching Springs. “We’re bringing the Atlas Obscura method to the pageant,” Megan Roberts, Vice President of Experiential, defined. “What we’re making an attempt to do with the programming and the music and the artwork is to raise the eclipse expertise.”
Worldwide musicians carry out in between seminars on eclipse mythology, astronomy, and folklore. Visitor audio system embrace best-selling authors, scientists, and Atlas Obscura’s founders.
The pageant is held at Cedar Glades Park, a small municipal park about 10 minutes from downtown Scorching Springs, Arkansas. The pageant may have meals, restrooms, and water out there all through the weekend.
The park’s facilities might be open throughout the pageant, together with:
- An 18-hole disc golf course
- 10 miles of mountain biking and climbing trails
- A 3-story treehouse for youngsters
- Two playgrounds
- A climbing wall
A primitive campground might be constructed completely for the pageant – tenting is often not allowed on the park. In a single day visitors can deliver their very own tent, park an RV, or take pleasure in a luxurious canvas tent.
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Roberts added, “Ecliptic is 100% household pleasant. We have now made it out there to a variety of audiences which are thrown collectively by this shared pleasure for the eclipse.”
Basic admission to the pageant ranges from $70-$385 for single-day or full weekend passes. Kids aged 10 and below are admitted totally free. The pageant is restricted to 4,000 attendees to maintain it an intimate expertise. Go to the Ecliptic Competition web site to purchase an admission cross.
- Partial Eclipse | 12:31 to three:10 p.m. (CDT)
- Begin of Totality | 1:49:29 p.m. (CDT)
- Period of Totality | 3 minutes 37 seconds
use this map | Click on the icon within the top-left nook to open the Map Legend, then click on on any of the legend gadgets to show extra info. When you’ve got a Google account, click on the (very faint) star on the finish of the map’s title to avoid wasting this map to your account, then entry the map out of your smartphone throughout your journey.
Get There
Atlas Obscura’s Ecliptic Competition is held at Cedar Glades Park, a municipal park 3.5 miles from downtown Scorching Springs, Arkansas. It takes about 10 minutes to drive the scenic route throughout the small mountain vary to the park.
Scorching Springs is a considerably distant vacation spot – it’s straightforward to drive there, however flying or driving a prepare is difficult.
Professional Journey Tip | The pageant’s campground is primitive, with no showers or provides aside from potable water. I strongly advocate driving to the pageant – both your automobile or a rental.
Invoice & Hillary Clinton Nationwide Airport (LIT) and Amtrak’s Union Station are an hour away in Little Rock, so a automobile rental from the airport is required to complete the journey into Scorching Springs.
Driving is simpler with Interstate 30, which is about twenty miles away. I-30 connects Little Rock and I-40 to Texarkana and I-49.
One of many perks of staying on the pageant’s campground is free parking. Different attendees should pay for parking – $35 per day or $100 for a 4-day cross. The payment contains parking and a roundtrip shuttle. Go to the Ecliptic Competition web site to purchase a parking cross.
In regards to the Musical Artists
Atlas Obscura’s Ecliptic Competition is partnered with the Valley of the Vapors, an annual impartial musical pageant. The music pageant usually options over 100 artists, however there might be fewer in 2024 due to the partnership with Atlas Obscura.
See the full lineup of musical artists for hyperlinks to their Instagram and Spotify accounts.
The music begins early on Friday with 5 performances. Over a dozen artists carry out between visitor audio system and seminars in regards to the eclipse on Saturday and Sunday. Monday culminates with a string of musical performances main as much as totality at 1:49:29 p.m. (CDT).
Attendees ought to deliver their very own chairs to benefit from the music from a short lived soundstage in a big meadow. The Coleman Tenting Chair is a basic foldable quad chair that’s straightforward to pack and cheap. The Helinox Ultralight Tenting Chair is a unbelievable improve with a light-weight, packable chair that’s straightforward to hold all through the day.
Particular Visitor Audio system
Departing from the standard music pageant, probably the most fascinating factor about Atlas Obscura’s Ecliptic Competition is the spectacular lineup of visitor audio system. The pageant is a couple of 1:2 ratio of visitor audio system to music, permitting attendees to be taught in regards to the science of eclipses and luxuriate in music.
The visitor audio system will lead seminars in regards to the mythology of eclipses, the folklore of the celestial occasion, and the science behind the spectacular expertise of totality.
The lineup of visitor audio system contains Adam Savage, astrobiologist Dr. Graham Lau, storyteller Dr. Kelly Reidy, and rocket scientist Summer time Ash. Atlas Obscura founders Dylan Thuras and Joshua Foer may even converse on the Ecliptic Competition.
Function Movie Screenings
One other fascinating characteristic of Atlas Obscura’s Ecliptic Competition is a collection of characteristic movie screenings. The movies are an fascinating option to have a good time the whole photo voltaic eclipse.
On Friday night time, A Journey to the Moon will possible introduce a contemporary viewers to their first screening of the 1902 French silent movie. Directed by George Méliès, the movie is a couple of group of astronomers who journey to the moon. Though the particular results will seem foolish by immediately’s requirements, they had been revolutionary on the time – it was the 1900s model of Jurassic Park.
On Saturday night time, The Arrival is an artwork home movie produced by the Unarius Academy of Science. It’s a curious movie about supernatural occasions revolving round UFO encounters.
On Sunday night time, audiences might be launched to Improbable Planet. The 1973 French animated movie directed by René Laloux is about kidnapped people dwelling on the planet Ygam amongst gigantic blue humanoid Traags.
Experiencing the Eclipse
The Ecliptic Competition’s schedule is full of musical performances and visitor audio system. However every little thing over the weekend leads as much as the large present on Monday: the whole photo voltaic eclipse.
Cedar Glades Park options a big meadow the place the pageant’s major stage is situated. It’s a wonderful place to expertise totality – particularly in the event you’ve already arrange snug chairs for having fun with the dwell music.
The pageant’s attendance is restricted to 4,000. This ensures an intimate totality expertise as a substitute of a chaotic zoo. The park is giant sufficient for individuals to unfold out as a substitute of sitting shoulder-to-shoulder.
The most effective locations to expertise the eclipse is likely one of the climbing trails within the park. Visitors can head out on one of many trails to a non-public location to expertise totality.
Tenting & Glamping on the Ecliptic Competition
What’s a music pageant with out primitive tenting? However this isn’t simply any primitive tenting – it’s Atlas Obscura’s method to tenting.
Attendees can BYOT – deliver your individual tent – with small primitive websites in Cedar Glades Park. You too can park an RV, however with out concrete or paved pads, I might not advocate bringing something with slide-outs.
The height of the tenting expertise is glamping in luxurious canvas tents offered by the Shelter Co. These round tents are furnished with 1, 2, or 4 beds, luxurious Egyptian cotton sheets, down comforters, bedside tables, and lounge chairs. The standing top of the tent makes it simpler to spend the night time tenting.
Though no hookups exist within the campground, it’s not completely primitive. Bathe trailers and restrooms might be parked close to the campground. Potable water might be equipped. Though a cellphone charging station might be offered, I like to recommend bringing a photo voltaic generator just like the Purpose Zero Yeti Energy Station or a big energy financial institution just like the Anker Transportable Energy Station to maintain your gadgets charged all through the weekend.
There are two perks to spending the weekend tenting on the pageant grounds.
In a single day visitors within the campground get a complimentary parking cross. However the biggest perk occurs after darkish – stargazing. B&H Photograph will deliver high-end telescopes and lead stargazing events observing the night time sky.
Campsites start at $85 per night time for bringing your individual tent, $850 for an RV over the weekend, and $1,450 for a luxurious canvas tent. Go to the Ecliptic Competition web site to guide a campsite.
Different Locations to Keep
If you happen to’re not a fan of tenting – even in a luxurious canvas tent – there are many different choices in Scorching Springs. However, lodge costs might be considerably larger due to the one-time occasion. You’ll possible pay about 600% of the common nightly price for the weekend.
Listed below are just a few accommodations the place you may keep whereas attending Atlas Obscura’s Ecliptic Competition.
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The Waters is a luxurious boutique lodge owned by Hilton. Spacious rooms with balconies and an on-site restaurant and bar create a cushty environment for spending the weekend. E-book now with Reserving.com or Expedia.com
Embassy Suites is a wonderful place for households to remain inside strolling distance of downtown sights and eating places. The lodge options an indoor swimming pool and rooms with sleeper sofas. E-book now with Reserving.com or Expedia.com
The Resort Scorching Springs is conveniently situated in the midst of downtown. The lodge options free parking, an on-site restaurant, and spacious rooms. E-book now with Reserving.com or Expedia.com
The Vacation Inn Specific is 5 minutes from downtown Scorching Springs and quarter-hour from the Ecliptic Competition. The lodge options an indoor swimming pool and rooms with a sleeper couch for households. E-book now with Reserving.com or Expedia.com
TownePlace Suites is the most effective place in Scorching Springs for households to remain. Every room features a small kitchen with a full-size fridge, permitting visitors to arrange some meals within the room and lower your expenses. The lodge options an outside swimming pool and fuel grills. E-book now with Reserving.com or Expedia.com
The Finest Western is a cheap small lodge throughout the highway from the Oaklawn Racing On line casino Resort. The lodge options an outside swimming pool and spacious rooms. A household suite contains two double beds and a sleeper couch that comfortably sleeps a household of 4. E-book now with Reserving.com or Expedia.com
Issues to Know Earlier than You Go
Atlas Obscura’s Ecliptic Competition and the whole photo voltaic eclipse are two of the largest occasions to occur in 2024. There are lots of issues to plan and pack earlier than hitting the highway to Scorching Springs.
Listed below are some issues you want to know earlier than going to the pageant.
- Commemorative eclipse glasses are included with admission, however I like to recommend you deliver a pair as a backup
- The pageant occasions finish on April 8, however tenting continues till April 9
- No refunds are provided in case of cloudy climate on the day of the eclipse
- A parking payment is required for all drivers, however you may keep away from the payment in the event you take a rideshare to the pageant
- This can be a family-friendly pageant
- Carry chairs or blankets to benefit from the music and totality
