Total Eclipse Fest 2024 underway at Great Lakes Science Center
CLEVELAND (WJW) – A three-day free festival to celebrate the arrival of the total solar eclipse is underway at the Great Lakes Science Center.
Hundreds of people showed up to check out the festival on day one Saturday. The festival is a collaboration of efforts by GLSC and the NASA Glenn Research Center.
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“We are not only showcasing the eclipse, we want everybody to know how to safely and enjoy the eclipse on Monday, but we also want to make sure that people know all the research in science is going in NASA,” NASA Glenn Public Engagement Lead Chris Hartenstine said. “So, we have over ten NASA tents that are focusing on space going back to the moon and with the ARTEMUS missions and also our aeronautics research.”
The outdoor festival is free to the public through the eclipse event on Monday. The GLSC is also free on Sunday where there will be a special performance from the Cleveland Orchestra.
Organizers said this event has been years in the making, and now that it’s underway, they’re proud to see so many people engaged and happy.
“This is a celebration of science, technology, engineering, math and the arts all around northeast Ohio coming together,” GLSC President and CEO Kirsten Ellenbogen said. “We’re using the total eclipse as a way to get the excitement for the eclipse and show people how many wonderful things are happening in the region on a regular basis.”
Eclipse chasers from all around the country are here in Cleveland for the lunar spectacle. They say they’re soaking up every experience they can to maximize their trip.
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“We’re all just science nerds, the whole family,” Denver resident Tracey Wilson said. “We’re all science nerds.”
Wilson and her family are visiting from Denver and New Jersey. They said eclipse chasing is becoming a family tradition. Learning from experts has been their favorite part of the trip so far.
“Talking to the NASA scientists, we learned so much and they are so passionate and knowledgeable that it was inspiring,” Wilson said. “As a matter of fact, our granddaughter who is 10 was asking the NASA people about internships. She’s looking ahead, she would like to be an Astronaut and go to Mars.”
Total Eclipse Fest visitors get free eclipse glasses, and there are plenty in stock. The only remaining unanswered variable in this celebration is the weather and if it will be a clear day for viewing the lunar phenomenon.
“I am hopeful,” New Jersey resident Jill McClennan said. “You know even if it’s a little cloudy that we will at least see something. But I’m really hopeful, fingers crossed, that we will have a nice clear day like today, it’s beautiful.”
“The temperature is going to go up considerably, we’re talking about mid 60s on Monday,” Hartenstine said. “That hopefull will drive the clouds away.”
The GLSC expects close to 100,000 people to view the eclipse downtown on Monday. Their best advice is to be sure to arrive early, find a good spot and take the time to enjoy the day.
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