When the eclipse passes over Indiana on April 8, a massive number of visitors will flock to rural parts of the state that normally only see a small number of tourists.
Towns and groups are attempting to make the most out of this opportunity by providing free events and activities to both local community members and visitors alike.
For example, Sierra Rutledge, the clerk treasurer for the town of Shoals, said that community is preparing to host a viewing event at its local baseball field.
“It will be a free event, we'll have 1,000 free glasses to give away, we'll have local vendors of baked goods and handicrafts, we have a lot of local businesses that will be participating with specials and their own items all being eclipse-themed as well,” she said.
In Spencer, Jonathan Balash, the president of Spencer Pride, said residents are planning a robust day filled with activities, including an eclipse photography workshop, a science-themed drag show, and local history lessons highlighting inclusivity in the area.
“Whether it's women's suffrage, civil rights, or you know, the work of our own Spencer Pride organization, this is a legacy of work that's happened in our small community over many years,” he said.
For Balash, the totality is an opportunity to educate people and challenge the ideas they may have on the people who live in rural areas.
“Maybe their perceptions of what a small town in a very rural, conservative area is, maybe they'll have some of those misconceptions challenged in terms of how welcoming a community can be, how inclusive a community can be,” he said.
In Vincennes, the Knox County Association of Remarkable Citizens will host an event focused on allowing everyone, including those with special needs, to enjoy the eclipse.
“A lot of them don't have the opportunity to go out to different events to do different things, whether it be finances, or whether it be just because of their disability,” said association facility coordinator Trudy McCormick. “And so this is amazing because we're making this adaptable to everybody of all abilities.”
Association Marketing Coordinator Elizabeth Hardin said the event will have all the usual trimmings like music and food, but also crafting areas, karaoke, and tools that provide sensory input for those to experience the eclipse in their own way such as those who are visually impaired.
“When the light moves over this box, the tone on the speaker will change, so they can enjoy it just like we can, just in a different way,” she said.
All of these events require time, planning, and perhaps most importantly, money, something that’s not always available to smaller towns and organizations.
“Spencer Pride didn't plan, from a financial perspective, well in advance to be hosting thousands and thousands of people at an event mid-year,” Balash said. “This is in the middle of our fiscal year here; it would have been a challenge for us to kind of re-adjust.”
But thanks to the Center for Rural Engagement at IU, all these events have been made possible thanks to micro grants the groups applied for and won.
Kyla Cox Deckard, director of strategy and communications for the center, said a sum of $60,000 was made possible from the Simons Foundation and its Path of Totality Initiative.
“We were able to offer micro grants to 30 communities,” she said. “These micro grants were in the amount of $2,000 to support their arts and cultural community activities around the solar eclipse.”