Information to Atlas Obscura’s Ecliptic Pageant in Scorching Springs, Arkansas

What’s Atlas Obscura?

In 2009, writer 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 goals of Atlas Obscura has been to create a real-world neighborhood of engaged explorers who do extra than simply add obscure locations to a bucket listing. Atlas Obscura hosts journeys world wide and experiences led by native guides.

In 2016, Foer, Thuras, and Ella Morton printed Atlas Obscura: An Explorer’s Information to the World’s Hidden Wonders. Now in its second version, the 480-page e book options a few of the most obscure and attention-grabbing locations to go to world wide. In 2021, Thuras and Cecily Wong printed Gastro Obscura: A Meals Adventurer’s Information.

What’s the Ecliptic Pageant?

Atlas Obscura’s Ecliptic Pageant 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 Whole Photo voltaic Eclipse within the U.S.

The oldsters at Atlas Obscura partnered with Valley of the Vapors organizers, an annual impartial musical pageant in Scorching Springs. “We’re bringing the Atlas Obscura strategy to the pageant,” 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 embody best-selling authors, scientists, and Atlas Obscura’s founders.

The pageant is held at Cedar Glades Park, a small municipal park about 10 minutes from downtown Scorching Springs, Arkansas. The pageant can have meals, restrooms, and water obtainable all through the weekend.

The park’s facilities can be open in the course of the pageant, together with:

• An 18-hole disc golf course
• 10 miles of mountain biking and mountain climbing trails
• A 3-story treehouse for kids
• Two playgrounds
• A climbing wall

A primitive campground can be constructed completely for the pageant – tenting is usually not allowed on the park. In a single day company can deliver their very own tent, park an RV, or take pleasure in a luxurious canvas tent.

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Roberts added, “Ecliptic is 100% household pleasant. We now have made it obtainable to a variety of audiences which might be thrown collectively by this shared pleasure for the eclipse.”

Common admission to the pageant ranges from $70-$385 for single-day or full weekend passes. Youngsters aged 10 and below are admitted at no cost. The pageant is restricted to 4,000 attendees to maintain it an intimate expertise. Go to the Ecliptic Pageant 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 gadgets to show extra data. When you’ve got 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 Pageant is held at Cedar Glades Park, a municipal park 3.5 miles from downtown Scorching Springs, Arkansas. It takes about 10 minutes to drive the scenic route throughout the small mountain vary to the park.

Scorching Springs is a considerably distant vacation spot – it’s simple to drive there, however flying or using a practice is difficult.

Professional Journey Tip | The pageant’s campground is primitive, with no showers or provides apart from potable water. I strongly advocate driving to the pageant – both your automotive or a rental.

Invoice & Hillary Clinton Nationwide Airport (LIT) and Amtrak’s Union Station are an hour away in Little Rock, so a automotive rental from the airport is required to complete the journey into Scorching Springs.

Driving is simpler 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 pageant’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 Pageant web site to purchase a parking go.

In regards to the Musical Artists

Atlas Obscura’s Ecliptic Pageant is partnered with the Valley of the Vapors, an annual impartial musical pageant. The music pageant sometimes options over 100 artists, however there can 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 in regards to 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 traditional foldable quad chair that’s simple to pack and cheap. The Helinox Ultralight Tenting Chair is a incredible improve with a light-weight, packable chair that’s simple to hold all through the day.

Particular Visitor Audio system

Departing from the everyday music pageant, essentially the most attention-grabbing factor about Atlas Obscura’s Ecliptic Pageant is the spectacular lineup of visitor audio system. The pageant is a few 1:2 ratio of visitor audio system to music, permitting attendees to be taught in regards to the science of eclipses and revel in music.

The visitor audio system will lead seminars in regards to 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 converse on the Ecliptic Pageant.

Function Movie Screenings

One other attention-grabbing characteristic of Atlas Obscura’s Ecliptic Pageant is a collection of characteristic movie screenings. The movies are an attention-grabbing option to rejoice the overall photo voltaic eclipse.

On Friday evening, A Journey to the Moon will seemingly introduce a contemporary viewers to their first screening of the 1902 French silent movie. Directed by George Méliès, the movie is a few group of astronomers who journey to the moon. Though the particular results will seem foolish by immediately’s requirements, they had been revolutionary on the time – it was the 1900s model of Jurassic Park.

On Saturday evening, 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 evening, audiences can be launched to Improbable Planet. The 1973 French animated movie directed by René Laloux is about kidnapped people dwelling on the planet Ygam amongst gigantic blue humanoid Traags.

Experiencing the Eclipse

The Ecliptic Pageant’s schedule is crammed with musical performances and visitor audio system. However all the things over the weekend leads as much as the massive present on Monday: the overall photo voltaic eclipse.

Cedar Glades Park options a big meadow the place the pageant’s essential stage is situated. It’s a wonderful place to expertise totality – particularly for those who’ve already arrange comfy chairs for having fun with the reside music.

The pageant’s attendance is restricted to 4,000. This ensures an intimate totality expertise as a substitute of a chaotic zoo. The park is giant sufficient for individuals to unfold out as a substitute of sitting shoulder-to-shoulder.

Among the best locations to expertise the eclipse is likely one of the mountain climbing trails within the park. Visitors can head out on one of many trails to a personal location to expertise totality.

Tenting & Glamping on the Ecliptic Pageant

What’s a music pageant 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 personal tent – with small primitive websites in Cedar Glades Park. You can even park an RV, however with out concrete or paved pads, I’d not advocate bringing something with slide-outs.

The height of the tenting expertise is glamping in luxurious canvas tents supplied 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 evening tenting.

Though no hookups exist within the campground, it’s not solely primitive. Bathe trailers and restrooms can be parked close to the campground. Potable water can be equipped. Though a telephone charging station can be supplied, I like to recommend bringing a photo voltaic generator just like the Aim Zero Yeti Energy Station or a big energy financial institution just like the Anker Transportable Energy Station to maintain your units charged all through the weekend.

There are two perks to spending the weekend tenting on the pageant grounds.

In a single day company within the campground get a complimentary parking go. However the best perk occurs after darkish – stargazing. B&H Picture will deliver high-end telescopes and lead stargazing events observing the evening sky.

Campsites start at $85 per evening for bringing your personal tent, $850 for an RV over the weekend, and $1,450 for a luxurious canvas tent. Go to the Ecliptic Pageant web site to e book a campsite.

Different Locations to Keep

In the event you’re not a fan of tenting – even in a luxurious canvas tent – there are many different choices in Scorching Springs. However, resort costs can be considerably increased due to the one-time occasion. You’ll seemingly pay about 600% of the common nightly fee for the weekend.

Listed below are a number of lodges the place you possibly can keep whereas attending Atlas Obscura’s Ecliptic Pageant.

Learn Extra | Methods to Discover Reasonably priced and Accessible Lodging for the Whole 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. E book now with Reserving.com or Expedia.com

Embassy Suites is a wonderful place for households to remain inside strolling distance of downtown points of interest and eating places. The resort options an indoor swimming pool and rooms with sleeper sofas. E book now with Reserving.com or Expedia.com

The Resort Scorching Springs is conveniently situated in the midst of downtown. The resort options free parking, an on-site restaurant, and spacious rooms. E book now with Reserving.com or Expedia.com

The Vacation Inn Specific is 5 minutes from downtown Scorching Springs and quarter-hour from the Ecliptic Pageant. The resort options an indoor swimming pool and rooms with a sleeper couch for households. E book now with Reserving.com or Expedia.com

TownePlace Suites is the perfect place in Scorching Springs for households to remain. Every room features a small kitchen with a full-size fridge, permitting company to arrange some meals within the room and lower your expenses. The resort options an outside swimming pool and fuel grills. E book now with Reserving.com or Expedia.com

The Finest Western is an affordable small resort throughout the street from the Oaklawn Racing On line casino Resort. The resort options an outside swimming pool and spacious rooms. A household suite contains two double beds and a sleeper couch that comfortably sleeps a household of 4. E book now with Reserving.com or Expedia.com

Issues to Know Earlier than You Go

Atlas Obscura’s Ecliptic Pageant and the overall photo voltaic eclipse are two of the largest occasions to occur in 2024. There are plenty of issues to plan and pack earlier than hitting the street to Scorching Springs.

Listed below are some issues it’s worthwhile to know earlier than going to the pageant.

• Commemorative eclipse glasses are included with admission, however I like to recommend you deliver a pair as a backup
• The pageant occasions finish on April 8, however tenting continues till April 9
• No refunds are supplied in case of cloudy climate on the day of the eclipse
• A parking price is required for all drivers, however you possibly can keep away from the price for those who take a rideshare to the pageant
• It is a family-friendly pageant
• Deliver chairs or blankets to benefit from the music and totality