The City of Westfield has announced a shift in its Solar Eclipse event at Grand Park on Monday, April 8 to move away from being solely a tourism-focused activity to becoming a community event more fit for our residents.
“After hearing from our constituents, we want to bring the community together to celebrate this once in a lifetime opportunity here in Westfield,” Mayor Scott Willis said. “It’s going to be a truly remarkable experience and what better way to do so than at Grand Park with unobstructed views.”
The event will still take place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Grand Park Sports Campus. Attendees can enjoy food and drinks from food trucks, a concert with the 1985 Band, inflatables, and total darkness from the Eclipse. Grand Universe will have viewing telescopes on site to educate attendees about the solar eclipse and its history. Special guest, Dr. Mark SubbaRao, Director of NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, will also be on site.
Tickets will be available for pre-purchase only and are now $25 per standard-sized vehicles; eclipse viewing glasses are included in the admission price. Overnight RV and camper parking will be available for $100 for Sunday to Tuesday in a designated parking lot on Grand Park Sports Campus; there will be no overnight parking available for non-RVs/Campers. Please note that EV charging is not available on site.
Community members not interested in attending any eclipse-related events will be able to pick up free eclipse viewing glasses in various locations throughout Westfield beginning in early March. It is never safe to look directly at the sun, even if the sun is partly obscured.
What is a total solar eclipse?
A total solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth, completely blocking the face of the Sun. The sky will darken as if it were dawn or dusk; the sky will begin to change around 1:50 p.m. with totality at 3:06 p.m. The next total solar eclipse from the contiguous United States will be Aug. 23, 2044.
It has been 819 years since Hamilton County had a total solar eclipse.
For more details and to secure tickets, please visit westfieldwelcome.com/solar-eclipse. More information will be added as the event approaches.