UPDATED: Check Out These Events Celebrating the Total Solar Eclipse on April 8

Like countless others, Dr. Ohad Shemmer is making plans to watch the total solar eclipse that will briefly turn afternoon into night in Dallas on April 8. Oddly enough, considering he’s an associate professor in the physics department at the University of North Texas who focuses on astronomy, he’s not doing for it science. He just wants to catch the show.

Weather permitting, it’s going to be quite a spectacle.

At 12:23 p.m. that day in Dallas, according to NASA, the moon’s path will take it between the Earth and the sun, gradually dimming its light until 1:40 p.m. That’s when the moon will completely obscure the sun and totality will begin, plunging us into darkness for four minutes until the moon passes on. A partial eclipse will continue until 3:02 p.m.

“When I come to the eclipse, I’m more of a spectator,” Shemmer says. “This time, I’m here for the fun.”

The prof is not slacking off, though. With the advent of satellites and massive radio telescopes, “There’s not a whole lot of science you can do” during a total eclipse today, Shemmer says.

One of the last major pieces of science involved in the observation of a total eclipse was the Eddington experiment in 1919. British astronomers Frank Watson Dyson and Arthur Stanley Eddington organized expeditions to South America and Africa to photograph starlight visible near the sun during totality. They were able to measure how much the starlight was deflected by the sun’s gravity, proving calculations made by Albert Einstein in his general theory of relativity.

In the science world, that was a BFD that helped make Einstein a household name.

But minus the science, what drives an astronomer such as Shemmer, who has seen total eclipses in Africa, Turkey and Wyoming, to chase the path of an eclipse?

As an educator, Shemmer likes to teach by analogy. One Sunday in early February, he says, he was unable to park at his house because of parties at his neighbors’ homes. “Some people were playing football, I heard,” he says, referring to the Super Bowl. He’s not a fan. But a total eclipse? “To me, that’s the real Super Bowl,” Shemmer says.

The last total eclipse visible in Texas was in 1878, and the next one that will be visible in Dallas won’t come for another 300 years. Sadly, for Cowboys fans, Shemmer’s Super Bowl analogy might hit a little too close to the bone.

Shemmer’s not alone in his desire to see the eclipse. We asked Visit Dallas, the city’s convention bureau, what sort of uptick in visitors Dallas can expect during the eclipse.

“Predictions for this can be a bit tricky,” Visit Dallas’ director of communications, Zane Harrington, replied by email. “So while we don’t have exact estimates on the anticipated number of visitors or occupancy, we asked our national mobile vendor, Placer, to create a measurement for Nashville during the 2017 eclipse to create a solid estimate of increased activity during the eclipse (since Nashville was the largest city in the direct path at this time).

“When comparing the entire city to the week before and after the eclipse, Nashville saw a 35% bump above expected visitation levels. When focused on visitors beyond 50 miles, the bump was almost 70% above expected without the eclipse.”

Traci Mayer with the Hotel Association of North Texas told the Observer that local hotels are reporting a surge of interest in bookings for April 7–8, with some properties already sold out.

“We do think it will be a big impact on our hotels and the region,” she wrote.

The solar event is also affecting airlines. The Dallas Morning News reported: “Round-trip airfare to DFW International Airport from any U.S. airport is averaging anywhere from $258 to $407 for April 5 to April 8. At Dallas Love Field, round-trip airfare for the same timeframe averages $645 to $1,126.”

That may sound a bit pricey to see four minutes of darkness, but Shemmer enthusiastically assures us there’s more to it than that: When totality comes, the air feels a little chillier, a breeze might kick up, animals stir and the people around you react with awe. “Just look around and join the feeling,” he suggests. “… Admire nature like art.”

He also suggests you have backup plans with multiple possible viewing locations in the event of partly cloudy skies. Luckily, Dallas is prepared with many hotels and locations planning eclipse-themed events. Those at the Perot Museum of Science and Nature, Dallas Arboretum and Frontiers of Flight Museum are booked up, but several downtown hotels are offering viewing parties from their rooftops. Below is a partial list of other likely spots to catch the show. Oh, and in case you haven’t heard, looking at the eclipse without proper eye protection is a likely way to damage your vision. Find out about how to safely view the eclipse from NASA.

Mesquite Solar Rodeo

The city of Mesquite is hosting a three-day celebration presented by Canadian Solar, a solar technology and renewable energy company. (The city boasts it will see 4 minutes and 8 seconds of totality, the longest period in Dallas-Fort Worth and a full 17 second longer than downtown Dallas.) But don’t go just for those extra seconds of darkness. The Solar Rodeo weekend kicks off on Saturday with a downtown farmers market, a rodeo parade downtown starting at 10 a.m. and a free street dance and block party at 100 W. Front St. from 6 to 11 p.m. At 1 p.m. Sunday, a screening of a documentary about eclipses will take place at Russell Planetarium, 2501 Memorial Blvd.; a solar roller disco happens from 2 to 5 p.m. at Broadway Skateland, 3022 Moon Drive; and a Tejano Fest with music from Grupo Siggno, Grupo Metal, Gary Hobbs and more is at Mesquite Arena, 1818 Rodeo Drive. Whew. Finally, on Monday, April 8, the city is home to five watch parties: downtown, Paschall Park, Opal Lawrence Historical Park, Mesquite Arts Center and Dallas College’s Eastfield campus. Most events are free and offer free viewing glasses while supplies last, or you can find them at the Mesquite Visitor Center, 111 S. Broad St. See a full schedule at thesolarrodeo.com.

Downtown Dallas

Downtown Dallas Inc. is also making a full weekend of it. Friday, April 5, brings the third annual Video Art Night in conjunction with AURORA at Pegasus Plaza, 1500 Main St. The free event includes live jazz, a DJ, a cash bar and “a curated video art program that merges art, technology and the public realm.” The Downtown Dallas Art Festival takes place at multiple locations, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday, April 6, and 10 a.m to 6 p.m., Sunday, April 7. On Monday, April 8, DDI joins with the Morning News to throw an eclipse watch party from 10 a.m to 2 p.m. in Main Street Garden, 1902 Main St. (Editor’s note: After publication, a helpful reader sent us some images from Google Earth that show Main Street Park to be in the shadow of the Statler Hotel at the time of totality, so you might plan on wandering away from this party for a bit. You won’t have to go far.)

The Lunar Light: Discovery

In addition to its regularly scheduled mixed-reality missions on the moon that let patrons experience a virtual trip to the moon, the organization is hosting a free eclipse party from 1:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. at 5835 LBJ Freeway, at the old Valley View Mall location.

Samuell Farm

The Dallas park’s Totality Dallas: A Total Eclipse Festival offers a full weekend of activities, including overnight camping, daily recreation and educational activities inspired by the eclipse, and an eclipse store where you can get glasses to view the eclipse safely. Camping passes are $100–$250, and day passes to the park are $5. It’s located at 100 U.S. 80, Mesquite.

Sun, Moon, and You

With 92,100 seats and no roof, the Cotton Bowl in Fair Park is an ideal place to view the eclipse, so NASA has teamed with the National Science Foundation and the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) to put on a free eclipse celebration. Sun, Moon, and You will include talks from scientists and astronomers along with space explorer characters from the PBS show Ready, Jet, Go. There will also be tents from STEM-related organizations, where you can participate in activities and hands-on experiments.

Total Eclipse of the Arts

The AT&T Performing Arts Center is offering a free eclipse viewing event beginning at 11:30 a.m. with music from The Revelers Hall Band, Corina Grove and DJ Jet Jaguar. It all happens at Sammons Park, 2403 Flora St.

Total Eclipse of the Park

This daylong event in Addison Circle Park includes yoga in the park, live music, food trucks and more. The park is at 4970 Addison Circle, Addison.

Historic Grapevine

Come to downtown Grapevine for a celebration that includes themed music throughout the Historic Main Street District and photos with costumed galactic characters. Several bars and restaurants in the district are creating special eclipse-themed drinks and dishes, and Grapevine is offering a VIP experience in Peace Plaza, where stargazers get front-row seats to live, themed music, food and drink at Harvest Hall and a swag bag loaded with $275 worth of eclipse souvenirs. Tickets are, naturally, $275.