Eclipse Weekend
Middletown, Ohio will experience a once-in-a-lifetime TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE ON APRIL 8TH, 2024. Solar eclipses occur when the path of the Moon crosses directly in front of the Sun -- blocking all the Sun’s light from reaching the Earth’s surface. In fact, Middletown will be in total darkness from 3:09 PM to 3:11 PM on April 8th and the stars will come out in the middle of the day! Middletown won’t experience another total solar eclipse for 400 years. So make your viewing plans now!
Schedule of events:
4/5 - First Friday Eclipse: Get your free eclipse glasses when you visit a participating downtown business! See list of businesses below! (while supplies last
4/8 - Downtown Viewing Event: Swallen’s Lot (39 N Broad St, Middletown, OH 45042), April 8th, from Noon – 4:30 PM. See details below.
Downtown Middletown locations with free solar eclipse viewing glasses:
MidPointe Library Middletown NOW OUT OF GLASSES
Participating Downtown Middletown Businesses (see list below)
Viewing event with DJ at Swallen’s Lot, Downtown Middletown (April 8th, Noon – 4:30 PM, while supplies last)
Downtown Middletown Viewing Event
Viewing event with DJ at Swallen’s Lot, Downtown Middletown April 8th, from Noon – 4:30 PM. Free glasses while supplies last and family friendly activities! Bring a lawn chair or blanket!
39 N Broad St, Middletown, OH 45042
Details:
Total Solar Eclipse Viewing event activities scheduled from Noon-4:30 PM at the Swallen’s Lot on April 8th:
DJ Alex with BE Entertainment, playing Eclipse-related music. (Stage and bleachers provided by the City of Middletown.) Bring a lawn chair/blanket incase of large crowd.
1,000+ free solar eclipse viewing glasses available to attendees at the DMI Booth (while supplies last).
Surrounding local business specials, sales, and parties. See details listed below!
Viewing party located inside the DORA (Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area). Grab a beverage from a local establishment and come witness history!
Food trucks: Mr. Hot Dog, and Nola's Funnel Cakes!
Vendors: Shadow Inc. 3D Printing, Stargaze Collective, Perez Supermarket
Children’s eclipse-related art activities sponsored by MidPointe Library Middletown including coloring, sidewalk chalk, and an eclipse craft. Plus, eclipse magnet craft at Monarch Design in the PAC.
Business Specials During Eclipse Weekend
Passing out glasses 4/5-4/8 while supplies last!
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Forest Hills Country Club
Galaxy Margarita $8
Black out dip & chips $9
Chili cheese dog...$3 -
PrimeTime Fieldhouse
Glow in the dark soccer.
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Gravel Road Brewing
$1 off 16 oz Beers
All Crowlers on sale $11 each -
Foodeez
Eclipse Splash or our Black Bean Grilled Cheese Sandwich: a total eclipse of the bun. Opening at 9am for breakfast on Monday April 8th.
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Iron Rose Mercantile
Eclipse Sale! 20% off all clothing!
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@ The Square
Rooftop viewing party 12-5pm!
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Triple Moon Coffee
Drinks:
Eclipse Latte
Blue Moon Latte
Sun-Kissed Lotus Energy Drink
Food:
Full Moon Muffin
Moon Over Middletown Sub
Eclipse Cookies -
Pendleton Art Center
Open Monday for Eclipse viewing event! See image below for open studios!
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Monarch Designs
Monday viewing event DIY Magnets for kids
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Design 2 Wear 2
Eclipse Shirts on sale now!
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West Central Wine
Specialty cocktail - The Bourbon Blackout 🌞🌘🌚You can also pick up your official Travel Butler County, Ohio Eclipse protective eyewear and Downtown Middletown, Inc. guides here!
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Hectors Taco Shop
Coffee, Dark Kool-aid, and Dark Burrito
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Perez Supermarket
Water tent at viewing event!
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Merkel's Tavern
50. Cents off of Blue Moon draft 22 once
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Grandpa Joes
FREE Pair of the World's Worst Eclipse Glasses. First 50 customers with any purchase (* not at all recommended for actually viewing the eclipse)
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My Salon LLC
Product sales and discounted rates for pre-booking.
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White Dog Distilling co
Opening early at 10am for a Bloody Mary bar! Serving a special eclipse Cocktail, If you purchase one you get your choice of a free "moon" pie or a free ice cream "sun"day cup.
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NEW Ales Brewing
Releasing a Dark Cherry Sour Ale on Saturday to kick off the celebration. Open the 8th from 12-6pm. Solar telescope set up outside for experiments!
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Central Pastry
CPS Solar Eclipse Treats are rolling in! CPS Smiley has his shades! And the CPS Doughnuts are catching the vibe! More to come! Closing early (1pm) on April 8th.
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The Whistle Stop Shop
On the Day of Darkness, we will be offering our always popular "Blue Sky" collectibles at 15% Discount! Open 12-4 during the viewing event!
Safety During An Eclipse
During the solar eclipse NEVER LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE SUN without proper eyewear.
The entire eclipse process will take place over several hours on the afternoon of Monday, April 8, from about 1:52 PM to 4:26 PM with the total solar eclipse occurring in the middle of the event. Looking directly at the Sun, even during partial phases of an eclipse, can damage the eyes. Viewing any part of the bright Sun through a camera lens, binoculars, or a telescope without a special-purpose solar filter secured over the front of the optics will instantly cause severe eye injury. If using a cell phone lens, do not let the sun peak around the edges of your camera.
USE SPECIAL ECLIPSE GLASSES TO PROTECT YOUR EYES! You must always look through safe solar viewing glasses (“eclipse glasses”) or a safe handheld solar viewer. Eclipse glasses are NOT regular sunglasses; regular sunglasses, no matter how dark, are not safe for viewing the Sun. Safe solar viewers are thousands of times darker and ought to comply with the ISO 12312-2 international standard. Always inspect your eclipse glasses or handheld viewer before use; if torn, scratched, or otherwise damaged, discard the device. Always supervise children using solar viewers.
For more information, visit: https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/future-eclipses/eclipse-2024/safety/ .
Skin Safety: Even during a solar eclipse, the sun will be very bright. If you are watching an entire eclipse, you may be in direct sunlight for hours. Remember to wear sunscreen, a hat, and protective clothing to prevent skin damage.
During a total solar eclipse, you will see multiple unique features as the eclipse progresses.
STAGES OF A TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE:
Partial eclipse (starting at 1:52 PM): As the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, at first it does not completely cover the Sun. The Sun appears to have a crescent shape.
Shadow bands: Shadow bands are rapidly moving, long, dark bands separated by white spaces that can be seen on the sides of buildings or the ground just before and after totality, though they can be very faint and difficult to photograph.
Baily's Beads: As the Moon continues to move across the Sun, several points of light shine around the Moon’s edges. Known as Baily's Beads, these are light rays from the Sun streaming through the valleys along the Moon's horizon.
Diamond Ring: Baily’s Beads will begin to disappear until eventually, only a single bright spot will remain along the edge of the Moon’s shadow. This bright spot resembles the diamond in a giant diamond ring formed by the rest of the Sun’s atmosphere.
Totality (from 3:09 – 3:11 PM): Totality is when the Moon completely blocks the Sun. This is the only stage of the eclipse that you can view with your naked eye. This stage can also reveal the chromosphere (a region of the solar atmosphere, appearing as the thin circle of pink around the Moon) and the corona (the outer solar atmosphere, appearing as streams of white light).
After totality (from 3:11-4:26 PM), viewers will be able to experience the features they saw earlier in the eclipse again in reverse order. To learn more about what to expect during the April 8th total solar eclipse, visit: https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/future-eclipses/eclipse-2024/.
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