On April 8, 2024, nearly two-thirds of Arkansas will be within the path of totality for the Great American Total Solar Eclipse. This event will bring thousands of visitors to The Natural State to experience the phenomenon. Mena will experience four minutes of pure solar darkness, one of the greater lengths in Arkansas and will be a major tourism draw for the community.
To help the community prepare, the City of Mena is hosting their second Eclipse Town Hall meeting on April 19, 2023. The meeting will be held at the Ouachita Center, on the campus of UA Rich Mountain, at 3:00 p.m. This is an opportunity for everyone to learn more about the eclipse and how Mena, and the surrounding areas, can plan for and draw visitors to what will be an epic event for Arkansas.
Public leaders and stakeholders will be in attendance to help answer community questions. The Central Arkansas Astronomical Society (CAAS), a non-profit organization, will also be in attendance to help inform and educate attendees.
Groups and organizations across Arkansas will be planning events focusing on this historic astronomical occurrence. Economic impact from the 2017 total solar eclipse in other states was massive. Since The Natural State is centrally located and our time of total darkness will be nearly twice that of the 2017 event, Arkansas is positioned to exceed those numbers.
For more information, contact Pasha Watson, Mena Advertising & Promotion Commission, 479-394-8355 or pasha@visitmena.com.
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