The 2024 Complete Photo voltaic Eclipse is probably the most spectacular pure occasion of the 12 months – and Atlas Obscura’s Ecliptic Competition is without doubt 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. However it’s additionally restricted to 4,000 attendees, so it’s essential 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 usually gentle, with likelihood for clear skies.
Learn this information to be taught extra about Atlas Obscura, the Ecliptic Competition, and see some tips about planning and packing for this occasion.
What’s Atlas Obscura?
In 2009, writer Joshua Foer and documentary filmmaker Dylan Thuras launched the Atlas Obscura web site. The web site is a compendium of obscure, intriguing locations sometimes not present in guidebooks.
Since its founding, one of many core targets 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 record. Atlas Obscura hosts journeys around the globe and experiences led by native guides.
In 2016, Foer, Thuras, and Ella Morton printed Atlas Obscura: An Explorer’s Information to the World’s Hidden Wonders. Now in its second version, the 480-page e-book options among the most obscure and fascinating locations to go to around the globe. In 2021, Thuras and Cecily Wong printed 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 parents at Atlas Obscura partnered with Valley of the Vapors organizers, an annual unbiased musical pageant in Scorching Springs. “We’re bringing the Atlas Obscura strategy 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 embody 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 can have meals, restrooms, and water obtainable all through the weekend.
The park’s facilities can be open through the pageant, together with:
- An 18-hole disc golf course
- 10 miles of mountain biking and mountaineering trails
- A 3-story treehouse for kids
- Two playgrounds
- A climbing wall
A primitive campground can be constructed completely for the pageant – tenting is usually not allowed on the park. In a single day visitors can convey 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 obtainable to a variety of audiences which can be 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 free of charge. The pageant is proscribed to 4,000 attendees to maintain it an intimate expertise. Go to the Ecliptic Competition web site to purchase an admission move.
- 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
Tips on how to 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. If in case you have a Google account, click on the (very faint) star on the finish of the map’s identify to save lots of this map to your account, then entry the map out of your smartphone throughout your journey.
Tips on how to 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 simple to drive there, however flying or using a practice is difficult.
Professional Journey Tip | The pageant’s campground is primitive, with no showers or provides apart from potable water. I strongly advocate driving to the pageant – both your automotive or a rental.
Invoice & Hillary Clinton Nationwide Airport (LIT) and Amtrak’s Union Station are an hour away in Little Rock, so a automotive 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 move. The price contains parking and a roundtrip shuttle. Go to the Ecliptic Competition web site to purchase a parking move.
Concerning the Musical Artists
Atlas Obscura’s Ecliptic Competition is partnered with the Valley of the Vapors, an annual unbiased musical pageant. The music pageant sometimes options over 100 artists, however there can 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 convey their very own chairs to benefit from the music from a brief soundstage in a big meadow. The Coleman Tenting Chair is a basic foldable quad chair that’s simple to pack and cheap. The Helinox Ultralight Tenting Chair is a incredible improve with a light-weight, packable chair that’s simple 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 few 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 will even converse on the Ecliptic Competition.
Function Movie Screenings
One other fascinating characteristic of Atlas Obscura’s Ecliptic Competition is a sequence of characteristic movie screenings. The movies are an fascinating option to rejoice the full 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 few group of astronomers who journey to the moon. Though the particular results will seem foolish by right now’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 can be launched to Unbelievable 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 crammed with musical performances and visitor audio system. However every part over the weekend leads as much as the large present on Monday: the full photo voltaic eclipse.
Cedar Glades Park options a big meadow the place the pageant’s primary stage is positioned. It’s a superb place to expertise totality – particularly for those who’ve already arrange comfy chairs for having fun with the stay music.
The pageant’s attendance is proscribed to 4,000. This ensures an intimate totality expertise as a substitute of a chaotic zoo. The park is massive sufficient for individuals to unfold out as a substitute of sitting shoulder-to-shoulder.
Probably the greatest locations to expertise the eclipse is without doubt one of the mountaineering trails within the park. Friends can head out on one of many trails to a personal 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 strategy to tenting.
Attendees can BYOT – convey your personal tent – with small primitive websites in Cedar Glades Park. You may also 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 supplied 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 peak of the tent makes it simpler to spend the night time tenting.
Though no hookups exist within the campground, it’s not solely primitive. Bathe trailers and restrooms can be parked close to the campground. Potable water can be provided. Though a telephone charging station can be supplied, 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 Moveable 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 move. However the best perk occurs after darkish – stargazing. B&H Photograph will convey high-end telescopes and lead stargazing events observing the night time sky.
Campsites start at $85 per night time for bringing your personal tent, $850 for an RV over the weekend, and $1,450 for a luxurious canvas tent. Go to the Ecliptic Competition web site to e-book a campsite.
Different Locations to Keep
For those who’re not a fan of tenting – even in a luxurious canvas tent – there are many different choices in Scorching Springs. However, resort costs can be considerably increased due to the one-time occasion. You’ll possible pay about 600% of the typical nightly fee for the weekend.
Listed here are just a few motels the place you may keep whereas attending Atlas Obscura’s Ecliptic Competition.
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The Waters is a luxurious boutique resort 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 superb place for households to remain inside strolling distance of downtown sights and eating places. The resort 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 positioned in the course of downtown. The resort 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 resort 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 one of the best 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 get monetary savings. The resort options an out of doors swimming pool and gasoline grills. E book now with Reserving.com or Expedia.com
The Finest Western is an affordable small resort throughout the street from the Oaklawn Racing On line casino Resort. The resort options an out of doors 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 full photo voltaic eclipse are two of the largest occasions to occur in 2024. There are a variety of issues to plan and pack earlier than hitting the street to Scorching Springs.
Listed here are some issues it is advisable to know earlier than going to the pageant.
- Commemorative eclipse glasses are included with admission, however I like to recommend you convey a pair as a backup
- The pageant occasions finish on April 8, however tenting continues till April 9
- No refunds are supplied in case of cloudy climate on the day of the eclipse
- A parking price is required for all drivers, however you may keep away from the price for those who take a rideshare to the pageant
- It is a family-friendly pageant
- Convey chairs or blankets to benefit from the music and totality