Experience a “Total Eclipse of the Park” at Lincoln State Park in Southern Indiana
On Monday, April 8th, a once-in-a-lifetime event will occur over Western Kentucky and Southern Indiana. Folks in and around Paducah, KY and Evansville, IN will experience a total solar eclipse. As the moon passes in front of the sun, it will travel over Mexico, North America, and Canada and a sliver of these countries will be in the exact path as the moon covers the sun completely. Here is the map of totality according to NASA.
Cities closest to this line will see the sky get dark at the times listed on the chart and those on the line could even be able to view the corona, or the perfect circle of light that forms when the moon is right at the center of the sun also known as "totality." For those of us in the Evansville area, totality will begin around 2:02 PM with maximum totality at 2:04 PM. Other parts of the world won't see a total eclipse, but they will see notice a partial eclipse.
Local officials are predicting an influx of people wanting to be in the perfect spot for this event. Totality won't happen again in Southern Indiana until 2099, so of course some folks are celebrating! Including the Friends of Lincoln State Park. President Dan Wilkinson said,
“We are very excited to be hosting this special event with Lincoln State Park as part of Spencer County’s solar eclipse experience. The next total solar eclipse in Indiana won’t be until 2099 in the far northeast portion of the state which makes the April eclipse a once-in-a-lifetime event for Spencer County. ‘Total Eclipse of the Park’ will be a fun way for family and friends to create special memories around the eclipse.”
Total Eclipse of the Park is a clever nod to the 1983 hit by Bonnie Tyler "Total Eclipse of the Heart." Love it!
If you are looking for a way to celebrate this monumental occasion, the event is Sunday, April 7, 2024, from 11 AM to 4 PM Central. Lincoln State Park will be hopping with a day of solar-themed fun and games for the kids, delicious food trucks, a beer/wine bar for the grown-ups, and live entertainment including a group called Sonny & The Moons. According to organizers, they "will perform a set of pre-dominantly sun, moon, and eclipse-themed songs. From the obvious (“Total Eclipse of the Heart”, “Bark at the Moon”) to the relevant (“Ain’t no Sunshine”, “Walking on Sunshine”) to the fun (“Waiting on the Sun”) and so much more!
All outdoors, this solar shindig will be held at Lincoln State Park’s Troy Road Picnic area. Tickets are now available online here for $9.95 per person. Tickets for children 12 and under are only $6.95. You can also purchase tickets at the door for a few dollars more. Proceeds benefit the Friends of Lincoln State Park. A non-profit organization that works to conserve and promote the beauty of the park and its cultural and historical importance.
“Total Eclipse of the Park” is presented with support from the Spencer County Community Foundation and the Spencer County Tourism Commission
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Gallery Credit: Hannah Lang
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