Free watch party for 2024 solar eclipse

JACKSON, Tenn. — We spoke with leaders with the Rockabilly’s Stadium to learn more about their upcoming solar eclipse watch party. In the last 150 years, there have only been 15 solar eclipses recorded in the United States, with the last one affecting our local area in 2017.

On Monday, April 8th, a total solar eclipse will cover portions of the Midwest, and some parts of Northwest Tennessee will experience the total solar eclipse. In Jackson, we will see a 97% maximum coverage according to NASA’s website.

“So this is a pretty big event, so we decided, decided about two months ago to do an event watch party. So, anybody who wants to come can,” said Dennis Bastien, the President and General Manager for the Jackson Rockabilly’s.

The doors to the Rockabilly’s Stadium will open for the event at noon and the expected time of the eclipse’s arrival begins at 1:37 and lasts until 3:17. For the first 500 people that come to the event, they will receive ISO certified glasses. Bastien told us the event went above and beyond speaking to local scientists to make 100% certain that these glasses will be safe to wear.

“So we took the email and a, what do you call it, a picture of these with the description over to the science professor at union university wanted to make sure they were good. So, someone other than us that has a whole lot more brilliance than we do, can say, ‘Yeah those are fine’,” said Bastien.

The entire event will be free to the public aside from the snacks and other food items that are sold at the stadium.

“It’s a very good place to watch. Obviously, the sun goes across the southern sky. This is a great place for that, plus there’s no cost involved. We just want people to see that we’re trying to do as many things as we can to be apart of the community and do some very unique things out here,” said Bastien.

According to NASA, this will be the last one affecting the united states for a while, with the next projected to be in August of 2044.

For those of you wanting to see the total eclipse in the best possible spot and who are willing to travel, much of Arkansas and Southeast Missouri will be in the direct path of the eclipse.

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