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Bloomington, Indiana To Offer Star-Studded Solar Eclipse Weekend

Janelle Monae, William Shatner and Mae Jemison headline a special total eclipse experience in Bloomington.

Apr 5, 2024 at 1:39 pm

Head north to experience a total eclipse as it passes through the path of totality. @janellemonae | Instagram

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Looking for a different experience this weekend, Louisville? On Monday, April 8, a full solar eclipse is set to take place across the United States coming northeast from Mexico and spanning several states including Indiana. Louisville will see a partial solar eclipse, but if you want the full experience, you’ll need to head north.

In Bloomington, Indiana, home of Indiana University Hoosiers, you can see the total eclipse at 3:04 p.m. for the full approximate four minutes and two seconds with stars like Janelle Monae, William Shatner and Mae Jemison at the Hoosier Cosmic Celebration. But the celebration starts even sooner than Monday at Switchyard Park. There’s a full weekend of fun to be had leading up to the overshadowing of the sun.

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Try These Weekend Vacation Destinations Within Driving Distance Of Louisville

Madison, Indiana Distance: 1 hour Madison, Indiana sits along the Ohio River and is known for being the country's largest contiguous National Historic Landmark District. There are tons of tours offered throughout the town: take a tour on a carriage, a walking tour through downtown, even a ghost tour of some particularly spooky spots. Celebrate the arts at any of the music venues in Madison or head over to the arts and culture district. Grab a beer at one of the resident breweries and relax by the river. Photo via Facebook.com/VisitMadisonIndiana

French Lick, Indiana Distance: 1 hour, 15 minutes In the hills of Southern Indiana, youll find a resort thats the Hoosier states answer to the Greenbrier. The West Baden Springs Hotel and the French Lick Resort are historic sister hotels with their own charm: West Baden has a grand atrium, a world class spa and a championship-level golf course while French Lick contains a Vegas-style casino, a bowling alley and has horseback riding on site. You can also explore the nearby Wilstem Wildlife Park that hosts grizzly bears, elephants and giraffes, or take the kids to the Big Splash Adventure Hotel & Indoor Water Park. The nearby towns of Orleans and Paoli are host to their own attractions: In the winter, head to Paoli Peaks for snowboarding, skiing and tubing and in the spring, you can visit Orleans for the Annual Dogwood Festival. Photo via visitfrenchllickwestbaden.com

Carbondale, Illinois Distance: 3 hours, 40 minutes You can now go on a weedcation to Illinois, thanks to the legalization of recreational marijuana there. Carbondale is a university town, home to the Consume Cannabis dispensary and is near a couple 420-friendly AirBnBs. Its Boo Castle Park is a trippy stop: a private park open to the public with sculptures of wizards and dragons. The town is also surrounded by natural beauty, including Giant City State Park and its interesting rock formations, as well as Kincaid Lake. In Makandale, Illinois, the nearby hippie town, youll find the eclectic Rainmaker Art Studio and a collection of vacation rentals that look like Hobbit homes at Rocky Comfort Cabins. Photo via Ruhe1986, Creative Commons

Berea, Kentucky Distance: 1 hour, 44 minutes Berea is the official art and craft capital of Kentucky, according to the Kentucky Arts Council. You can soak up Bereas artsy culture along North Broadway and Chestnut Street, which contains several galleries and shops  some of which invite you in to watch the resident artists at work. There are arts festivals, too, of course, with the biggest being the Berea Craft Festival in July. Nearby, you can visit The Pinnacles, which was named the best hike in Kentucky in 2019 by Outside magazine, for its sweeping overlooks. For dining, Berea is lucky to have local restaurateur Mae Suramek, who owns several must-visit stops for foodies: Noodle Nirvana (a socially conscious build-your-own noodle shop) Happy Jacks World Sandwich Bar and the craft donut shop Hole & Corner Donuts. You can lay your head down at the 100+-year-old Boone Tavern Hotel, Bereas grandest and most historic lodging option, or check out HomeGrown HideAways which has a campsite, yurts and tree houses. Photo via facebook.com/BereaKY

Santa Claus, Indiana Distance: 1 hour, 14 minutes Its Christmas all the time in Santa Claus, Indiana. With a name like that, you know the town has to be fun: Its home to Holiday World, an amusement park that has an impressive wooden roller coaster collection, an award-winning water park and free drinks. To keep the holiday theme going, you can visit the towns famous Christmas shops, including the Santas Toys store or Santas Candy Castle. Nearby, youll also find some decidedly-not holiday related sites worth seeing, including Abraham Lincolns boyhood homestead, which features reenactors, or the Saint Meinard Archabbey where Benedictine monks live (and which is open to tours.) Photo via santaclausind.org

Cumberland Gap National Historical Park Distance: 3 hours, 19 minutes Enjoy Appalachian Mountain views without crowds at Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, which is claimed by three states: Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia. There are over 80 miles of hiking trails in the park with scenic vistas and cascading waterfalls. Nearby is the Abraham Lincoln Library and Museum for the history buffs. For an even more hidden treasure, Kentuckys Pine Mountain State Resort Park is only 20 minutes away, which has  in addition to scenic hikes  an 18-hole golf course, lodge and an amphitheater. Photo via J654567, Wikimedia

Bardstown, Kentucky Distance: 50 minutes If you want the bourbon options of Louisville but in a small town setting, Bardstown, Kentucky is your place. Named the Most Beautiful Small Town in America by USA Today, the city is home to 11 distilleries that will more than take up your weekend. You can also catch a ride on the My Old Kentucky Dinner Train for a scenic trip through the Kentucky countryside enjoyed with a four-course meal. Or, in the summer, stop in for a showing of The Stephen Foster Story, a Broadway-style musical about the father of American Music, who penned Oh Susanna! And Camptown Races. Photo via visitbardstown.com

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Friday, April 5: “Total Eclipse of the Brain”

Time: 7-9 p.m.
Place: Switchyard Park
Price: $30 per team of up to 6 people
The Cabin Restaurant and Lounge will serve food, beer, wine and soda on-site

Registration is required. Register here.

Saturday, April 6: Eclipse in the Park: A Solar Celebration in Switchyard Park

6 p.m. Karaoke with Brad Lake
6 p.m. Crafts, games, and education activities
6-10 p.m. Food trucks and beer garden, featuring Upland Brewery. See a list of food trucks scheduled to be on site
8:45 p.m. Movie in the Park: Hidden Figures (2016, Rated PG)

Sunday, April 7: “There Goes the Sun” and Lunar Links Glow-in-the-Dark Putt Putt

2 p.m. Crafts, games and educational activities
3 p.m. Bloomington Symphony Orchestra outside on the main stage.
7:30-9:30 p.m. glow-in-the-dark golf at Cascades Golf Course | $10 per person | Registration not required

Monday, April 8: Eclipse Viewing Event

12 p.m. Food trucks and beer garden, featuring Upland Brewery, Bloomington Brewing Company and Cardinal Spirits | See a list of food trucks scheduled to be on site
12 p.m. Live music by Moon Buggy
12 p.m. Crafts, games and educational activities
2 p.m. Live music by Comfortably Phree (covering "Dark Side of the Moon")
3 p.m. Solar Eclipse viewing
3:30 p.m. Live music by Comfortably Phree | You can find more information about the event and answered questions here.

Monday, April 8: Hoosier Cosmic Celebration

Performances by Janelle Monae, William Shatner and Mae Jemison
Time: 1 p.m.
Place: IU’s Memorial Stadium
Price: $19 for public. $15 for students.
You can get your tickets here.

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About The Author

Caleb Stultz

Caleb is a News Writer for LEO Weekly from Southern Indiana, AKA the Suburbs of Louisville, and has worked for other news outlets including The Courier Journal and Spectrum News 1 KY. He also loves to read, be outdoors with his dog, and collect cards and vintage clothing.