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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowIn case you hadn’t heard: April 8 is going to be huge for Indianapolis, and for lots of other cities across the state.
On that day, a sizable portion of Indiana will be in the path of totality for a solar eclipse on a path that will cross the U.S. from Texas to Maine. For several minutes, Indianapolis and its suburbs—and other cities around the state including Bloomington, Evansville, Terre Haute and Muncie—will be plunged into darkness as the 100-mile-wide path of totality crosses the state.
It’s truly a once-in-a-lifetime event. The last time Indianapolis was in the path of totality was 819 years ago. After 2024, it won’t happen again until 2153.
No one knows exactly how many outside visitors the eclipse will draw to Indiana. Great American Eclipse, an organization that disseminates information about eclipses, has predicted that between 131,000 and 522,000 people will visit Indiana for the eclipse. Indiana tourism officials are predicting up to 1 million visitors.
To capitalize on the excitement, municipalities and organizations in Indianapolis and beyond are planning all manner of eclipse watch parties and events for the big day. Here’s a sampling, and you can find a fuller list of statewide events at the Indiana Destination Development Corp.’s eclipse website, www.visitindiana.com/eclipse2024/.
Central Indiana
Eclipse Festival 2024
April 6-8
Franklin Amphitheater, 237 W. Monroe St., Franklin.
Live music, food trucks, laser show, hot-air balloon, more.
festivalcountryindiana.com/eclipse-at-the-franklin-amphitheater
Conner Prairie Total Solar Eclipse 2024 Festival
10 a.m. to 5 p.m., April 8
Conner Prairie, 13400 Allisonville Road, Fishers
Children’s activities, live music, performances, more. VIP packages available.
$40 for members, $55 for non-members, $150 for VIP packages.
Connerprairie.org/solarclipse2024
Eclipse festivities at Grand Park Sports Campus
10 a.m. to 6 p.m., April 8
Grand Park, 19000 Grand Park Blvd., Westfield
Food trucks, live music, attractions and inflatables
$100 per vehicle. $400 for overnight camping for RVs and campers. Must purchase all tickets in advance.
westfieldwelcome.com/solar-eclipse
Lunacy! Solar Eclipse Festival
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 8
White River State Park, 801 W. Washington St.
Food competition and more than 20 food trucks, music, yoga and tabata classes.
visitindy.com/event/lunacy!-solar-eclipse-festival/141353/
Total Solar Eclipse Celebration
10 a.m. to 7 p.m. April 8. VIP Solarbration event from noon to 5 p.m.
Indiana State Museum, 650 W. Washington St.
Hands-on activities, live demonstrations, more. VIP event includes access to specialty cocktails and food, reserved parking, more.
$20, includes museum admission. VIP admission is $250. Must purchase tickets by April 5.
Total Solar Eclipse at IMS
10 a.m. to 4 p.m., April 8
Indianapolis Motor Speedway, 4790 W. 16th St.
Presented in partnership with Purdue University. This will be among a handful of sites around the country from which NASA will be broadcasting that day.
$20. Children 18 and under get in free with a paying adult.
indianapolismotorspeedway.com/events/eclipse
Total Eclipse of the Art
Begins at 11 a.m. April 8
Newfields, 4000 Michigan Road
Music, light and fire shows, yoga, food, more.
$34 and up. Parking is an additional $30.
discovernewfields.org/calendar/eclipse
Elsewhere around the state
Eclipse & More 2024
April 5-8
Wayne County Fairgrounds, 861 Salisbury Road, Richmond
Music, food and craft vendors, activities, more
Fairgrounds admission is $5 per person. Separate fees for some concerts and other events.
richmondsolareclipse.com/events/eclipse-more-2024/
Dark Side Bash
April 6-8
Downtown Vincennes
Food trucks, vendors, music, children’s activities, more
eclipseindiana.org/events/dark-side-bash
Solarpalooza
April 7-8
University of Southern Indiana, 8600 University Blvd., Evansville
April 7: talk by retired NASA astronaut Joan Higginbotham. April 8: Music, food trucks, presentations, hands-on activities.
Celestial Spectacle Solar Eclipse Viewing Event
10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., April 8
Switchyard Park, 1601 S. Rogers St., Bloomington
Food trucks, beer garden, live music
Free
visitbloomington.com/event/celestial-spectacle-solar-eclipse-viewing-event/51364/
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