On April 8, the moon will line up perfectly between the Earth and the sun in a total solar eclipse, blanketing the sky in darkness and spreading smiles across the faces of thousands of Arkansans and tourists; it may last only three minutes and 53 seconds, but UCA worked hard to make the occasion a remarkable moment the Conway community will remember forever.
Arkansas is directly in the path of totality, meaning it’s in a prime location where the moon’s shadow completely covers the sun.
According to greatamericaneclipse.com, a high estimate of 337,000 and a low estimate of 84,000 people will visit Arkansas.
Either amount is a lot, and it will be a bustling day for Conway as tourists swarm the area to view the astronomical phenomena.
UCA has several grand events leading to and on the day of the eclipse, ranging from a performance from four-time Grammy nominee Zydeco Legend at Estes Stadium on April 4 to a discussion on how galaxies change over time with NASA astrophysicist Amber Straughn at the Windgate Center for Fine and Performing Arts on April 7.
Seeing how this brief celestial moment in the sky can inspire so much community cheer and effort is touching.
Morton Brown, a UCA alum and public art consultant in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, designed LUNA. This 25-foot inflatable eclipse superhero displays a woman of color with magnificent moth wings standing on the moon.
She currently sits in the Reynolds Performance Hall but will fly to the Windgate Center Lecture Hall on April 3 for a public lecture by Brown on his creation of the stellar structure from 7-8 p.m.
To launch off the festivities, the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences will have an eclipse kickoff party at Estes Stadium on April 4 at 1:40 p.m., featuring Legend and artist-in-residence Sean Ardoin.
Ardoin will perform his song, “Kick Rocks,” and divvy out line dance steps, and LUNA will be inflated and revealed.
The main event is UCA’s eclipse watch party at Estes Stadiums from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., where students can pick up free eclipse glasses, eat from various food concessions, scout arts and crafts vendors, play yard games and watch NASA TV on the big screen.
If you’d rather observe the eclipse with a canine companion, attend Barkanalia, a dog-friendly eclipse viewing party on the College of Business’s lawn.
Not only will there be adorable dogs, but LUNA will make a guest experience.
Munch on free hot dogs, Sun Chips and Moon Pies, and wait for total barkness.
Too much moon? UCA’s got you — there will be an antique car show in the Estes Stadium parking lot April 8 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Toad Suck Car Club will showcase a dozen of antique cars and trucks, and some members will discuss vehicle restoration and preservation.
The Dr. Edmond E. Griffin Planetarium will host a handful of eclipse-themed shows to demonstrate what occurs during the eclipse.
These are free, family-friendly and fun educational opportunities to learn about space from the comfort of a chair.
The shows are April 5 at 7 p.m. and April 6 and 7 at 1, 3, 5 and 7 p.m.
UCA has curated an out-of-this-world lineup to prepare for the eclipse, put students and locals in jubilant moods and commemorate the unparalleled feeling of knowing the community got to see a rare historical moment together.