The 2024 Complete Photo voltaic Eclipse is essentially the most spectacular pure occasion of the 12 months – and Atlas Obscura’s Ecliptic Competition is among the greatest locations to expertise it. The competition is a 4-day intriguing mixture of science seminars, music competition, and day on the public park. However it’s additionally restricted to 4,000 attendees, so you will need to purchase your ticket quick.
The competition is held at a municipal park in Sizzling Springs, Arkansas. Climate in early April in Sizzling Springs is often delicate, with likelihood for clear skies.
Learn this information to study extra about Atlas Obscura, the Ecliptic Competition, and see some tips about 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 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 revealed Atlas Obscura: An Explorer’s Information to the World’s Hidden Wonders. Now in its second version, the 480-page e book options a number of the most obscure and fascinating locations to go to around the globe. 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.
Learn Extra | Journey Information to the 2024 Complete Photo voltaic Eclipse within the U.S.
The oldsters at Atlas Obscura partnered with Valley of the Vapors organizers, an annual unbiased musical competition in Sizzling Springs. “We’re bringing the Atlas Obscura strategy to the competition,” Megan Roberts, Vice President of Experiential, defined. “What we’re attempting 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 competition is held at Cedar Glades Park, a small municipal park about 10 minutes from downtown Sizzling Springs, Arkansas. The competition can have meals, restrooms, and water out there all through the weekend.
The park’s facilities shall be open in the course of the competition, together with:
- An 18-hole disc golf course
- 10 miles of mountain biking and mountain climbing trails
- A 3-story treehouse for youngsters
- Two playgrounds
- A climbing wall
A primitive campground shall be constructed solely for the competition – tenting is often not allowed on the park. In a single day friends can deliver their very own tent, park an RV, or take pleasure in a luxurious canvas tent.
Learn Extra | 9 Greatest Locations to See the 2024 Complete Photo voltaic Eclipse in Arkansas
Roberts added, “Ecliptic is 100% household pleasant. We’ve got made it out there to a variety of audiences which are thrown collectively by this shared pleasure for the eclipse.”
Common admission to the competition ranges from $70-$385 for single-day or full weekend passes. Kids aged 10 and underneath are admitted free of charge. The competition is restricted to 4,000 attendees to maintain it an intimate expertise. Go to the Ecliptic Competition web site to purchase an admission go.
- 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
Methods 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 objects to show extra info. When 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.
Methods to Get There
Atlas Obscura’s Ecliptic Competition is held at Cedar Glades Park, a municipal park 3.5 miles from downtown Sizzling Springs, Arkansas. It takes about 10 minutes to drive the scenic route throughout the small mountain vary to the park.
Sizzling Springs is a considerably distant vacation spot – it’s straightforward to drive there, however flying or using a practice is difficult.
Professional Journey Tip | The competition’s campground is primitive, with no showers or provides apart from potable water. I strongly advocate driving to the competition – 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 Sizzling Springs.
Driving is less complicated 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 competition’s campground is free parking. Different attendees should pay for parking – $35 per day or $100 for a 4-day go. The price contains parking and a roundtrip shuttle. Go to the Ecliptic Competition web site to purchase a parking go.
Concerning the Musical Artists
Atlas Obscura’s Ecliptic Competition is partnered with the Valley of the Vapors, an annual unbiased musical competition. The music competition sometimes options over 100 artists, however there shall 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 concerning 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 incredible improve with a light-weight, packable chair that’s straightforward to hold all through the day.
Particular Visitor Audio system
Departing from the everyday music competition, essentially the most fascinating factor about Atlas Obscura’s Ecliptic Competition is the spectacular lineup of visitor audio system. The competition is a couple of 1:2 ratio of visitor audio system to music, permitting attendees to study concerning the science of eclipses and luxuriate in music.
The visitor audio system will lead seminars concerning 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 season Ash. Atlas Obscura founders Dylan Thuras and Joshua Foer will even communicate on the Ecliptic Competition.
Characteristic Movie Screenings
One other fascinating function of Atlas Obscura’s Ecliptic Competition is a collection of function movie screenings. The movies are an fascinating option to have fun the entire photo voltaic eclipse.
On Friday night time, A Journey to the Moon will probably 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 at this time’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 shall be launched to Unbelievable Planet. The 1973 French animated movie directed by René Laloux is about kidnapped people residing on the planet Ygam amongst gigantic blue humanoid Traags.
Experiencing the Eclipse
The Ecliptic Competition’s schedule is stuffed with musical performances and visitor audio system. However every thing over the weekend leads as much as the large present on Monday: the entire photo voltaic eclipse.
Cedar Glades Park options a big meadow the place the competition’s most important stage is situated. It’s a superb place to expertise totality – particularly in case you’ve already arrange comfy chairs for having fun with the dwell music.
The competition’s attendance is restricted to 4,000. This ensures an intimate totality expertise as an alternative of a chaotic zoo. The park is massive sufficient for individuals to unfold out as an alternative of sitting shoulder-to-shoulder.
Probably the greatest locations to expertise the eclipse is among the mountain 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 competition with out primitive tenting? However this isn’t simply any primitive tenting – it’s Atlas Obscura’s strategy to tenting.
Attendees can BYOT – deliver your individual tent – with small primitive websites in Cedar Glades Park. You can too 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 shall be parked close to the campground. Potable water shall be provided. Though a cellphone charging station shall 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 Moveable Energy Station to maintain your gadgets charged all through the weekend.
There are two perks to spending the weekend tenting on the competition grounds.
In a single day friends within the campground get a complimentary parking go. 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 e book a campsite.
Different Locations to Keep
In case you’re not a fan of tenting – even in a luxurious canvas tent – there are many different choices in Sizzling Springs. However, resort costs shall be considerably larger due to the one-time occasion. You’ll probably pay about 600% of the common nightly price for the weekend.
Listed here are a couple of motels the place you may keep whereas attending Atlas Obscura’s Ecliptic Competition.
Learn Extra | Methods to Discover Reasonably priced and Accessible Lodging for the Complete Photo voltaic Eclipse 2024
The Waters is a luxurious boutique resort owned by Hilton. Spacious rooms with balconies and an on-site restaurant and bar create a snug environment for spending the weekend. Guide 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 resort options an indoor swimming pool and rooms with sleeper sofas. Guide now with Reserving.com or Expedia.com
The Lodge Sizzling Springs is conveniently situated in the course of downtown. The resort options free parking, an on-site restaurant, and spacious rooms. Guide now with Reserving.com or Expedia.com
The Vacation Inn Categorical is 5 minutes from downtown Sizzling Springs and quarter-hour from the Ecliptic Competition. The resort options an indoor swimming pool and rooms with a sleeper couch for households. Guide now with Reserving.com or Expedia.com
TownePlace Suites is the most effective place in Sizzling Springs for households to remain. Every room features a small kitchen with a full-size fridge, permitting friends to arrange some meals within the room and lower your expenses. The resort options an out of doors swimming pool and fuel grills. Guide now with Reserving.com or Expedia.com
The Greatest Western is a cheap 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. Guide now with Reserving.com or Expedia.com
Issues to Know Earlier than You Go
Atlas Obscura’s Ecliptic Competition and the entire 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 street to Sizzling Springs.
Listed here are some issues you’ll want to know earlier than going to the competition.
- Commemorative eclipse glasses are included with admission, however I like to recommend you deliver a pair as a backup
- The competition 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 price is required for all drivers, however you may keep away from the price in case you take a rideshare to the competition
- This can be a family-friendly competition
- Deliver chairs or blankets to benefit from the music and totality
