Texas Gears up for the 2024 Total Eclipse with Events Held across the Lone Star State

by Sara Aguinaga on April 4, 2024 in Entertainment, Living Texas,
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On April 8, 2024, Texas will be graced by a total solar eclipse, a rare celestial event capturing the imagination of communities across the state. You don’t want to miss it because the next total eclipse view in the US will not occur until August 23, 2044. From Dallas to Austin and San Antonio, various events across Texas offer distinctive experiences to witness and celebrate the 2024 solar eclipse. Join us on a journey through various regions as Texas welcomes the awe-inspiring Total Solar Eclipse. 

 

Dallas/Fort Worth

The Frontiers of Flight Museum

Photo Courtesy Frontiers of Flight Museum

The Frontiers of Flight Museum in Dallas is set to host a Total Eclipse event on April 8, offering a unique experience for North Texans. The museum, known for its commitment to preserving aviation and space exploration history, will provide unobstructed sky views, making it an ideal location for eclipse viewing. The event, scheduled from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., will feature speakers discussing the science behind the solar event, games for all ages, children’s activities, and more. Attendees can register for free and will receive solar eclipse glasses for safe viewing.

 

The Cosmic Cowboy Eclipse Festival, Hillsboro

Photo Courtesy Cosmic Cowboy Eclipse Festival

The Cosmic Cowboy Eclipse Festival is a three-day country music event located along Texas’s 2024 total eclipse path. The festival features a lineup of country music artists, including Chris Janson, Pat Green, and The Marshall Tucker Band, performing at the North Mall Outlet for three days. Attendees can also enjoy carnival rides and games at the South Mall Outlet. The event’s highlight is the Cosmic Eclipse Experience, providing a rare opportunity to witness the total eclipse. Additionally, camping and RV spaces are available through the city of Hillsboro for those who want to camp out under the stars.

 

Le Meridien Dallas, The Stoneleigh – Lunch & Solar Eclipse Beer Garden

Photo Courtesy Le Meridien Dallas, The Stoneleigh

Le Meridien Dallas, The Stoneleigh, invites guests to a stylish Lunch & Beer Garden Watch Party on April 8 from 11:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Enjoy a specially curated three-course lunch featuring the Solar Glow Salad with Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noirs Sparkling Rose, and entrees like Crispy Atlantic Salmon with Talbott Kali Hart Chardonnay. Complimentary solar glasses are provided for eclipse viewing. The event includes a Solar Eclipse Beer Garden with brews from local breweries. Guests can attend both lunch and the beer garden or just the beer garden. Valet parking is available for $10. 

 

Great Wolf Lodge Grapevine Eclipse Watch Party

Photo Courtesy Great Wolf Lodge Grapevine

Great Wolf Lodge Grapevine is set to host a special celebration on April 8 in honor of the Great North American total solar eclipse. The resort invites families to join an outdoor watch party featuring themed music, dances, crafts, and celestial fun for all ages. Attendees will receive complimentary Great Wolf Lodge eclipse-viewing glasses and specialty Wolf Ears for an extraterrestrial viewing experience. The event also offers sublime food and beverage options, including moon pies and a Sunchaser cocktail for adults. 

 

Hilton Anatole

Photo courtesy Hilton Anatole

Hilton Anatole will host a viewing party in its 7-acre Sculpture Garden lawn with unobstructed views along with a specialty Eclipse cocktail, snacks, and of course complimentary safety glasses. Providing a Texas-sized resort space, Hilton Anatole is the premier urban resort in Dallas, featuring the JadeWaters seasonal outdoor pool complex with slides, a lazy river, leisure pool, kids’ play zone, luxury cabanas and more. The 27th floor is home to SĒR Steak + Spirits, one of the top fine dining restaurants with sweeping skyline views.

Texas Hill Country

Kerrville Eclipse Festival

Photo Courtesy Kerrville Parks and Recreation Dept.

The Kerrville Parks and Recreation Department invites you to the Kerrville Eclipse Festival at Louise Hays Park on Monday, April 8. This free event in the heart of the Hill Country offers a unique celebration featuring scientific speakers, live music, and children’s programming. The event area has open access, and no tickets are required for entry. Limited off-site parking is available for reservation at a fee. NASA will live stream the event from the park, with Kerrville being one of only three cities in the United States selected for this broadcast, with the other two in Indianapolis, IN, and Cleveland, OH. 

 

Kerrclipse Music Festival

Photo Courtesy Kerrville Folk Festival Foundation

The Kerrville Folk Festival Foundation is organizing the Kerrclipse Music Festival, scheduled for April 5-8 at Quiet Valley Ranch. Building on the Kerrville Folk Festival tradition that has brought people together for nearly 50 years, this unique event offers an exceptional opportunity to witness a solar eclipse at the ranch. The community-oriented festival, known for its warm greeting of “Welcome Home!” invites long-time Kerrville Folk Festival attendees and newcomers to experience over four minutes of totality. The event promises a weekend of family-friendly music, camping, and science presentations.

 

The Texas Eclipse Festival, Burnet

Photo Courtesy The Texas Eclipse Festival

The Texas Eclipse Festival, set in Burnet from April 5-9, presents a multi-genre music lineup across six stages. Featured artists include jam bands, indie/electronic performers, house icons, Grammy-award winners, bass music heavyweights, and funk-tronic acts. With over 300 participants spanning various fields such as space, tech, AI, science, wellness, and visual arts, the festival promises four days and nights of musical exploration beneath the Texas skies. Scientific experts will contribute insights and enhance our understanding of distant places and the world. All festival tickets include access to standard campgrounds, and attendees must purchase festival tickets for entry. Texas Eclipse offers GA & VIP festival tickets with different arrival days, while all guests share the same departure day.

 

CAVE WITHOUT A NAME Total Eclipse Experience, Boerne

Photo Courtesy Cave Without a Name

The Total Eclipse Experience is scheduled from April 6-9 at Cave Without a Name in Boerne. This family-friendly camping event offers a front-row seat to the celestial event.. The event includes camping for three nights, Eclipse Viewing, and a Pavilion Concert starting at $190+. Arrive Saturday to set up your camp and enjoy a unique underground Eclipse experience the same evening. On Sunday, explore the Cave, hike trails, and engage in various activities. Sunday evening features a “Sing-Along” with the Rahim Quazi Trio at the pavilion. Monday offers a once-in-a-lifetime experience with totality between 1:32 – 1:36 p.m., followed by a pavilion concert with Kayla Winslow themed ‘Here Comes the Sun.’ For reservations and camping fees, contact the Cave.

 

Arch Ray Resorts’ Solar Eclipse Fest with the Goo Goo Dolls

Photo courtesy Arch Ray Resort

Arch Ray Resort in Fredericksburg will hosts its two-day Arch Ray Solar Eclipse Fest on Sunday, April 7, and Monday, April 8. The premier destination for relaxation in the Texas Hill Country is presenting the ultimate eclipse-viewing festival featuring live music by nationally acclaimed bands including the Goo Goo Dolls, Fastball, Switchfoot, Kyle Park, Cory Morrow, Lane Smith and more. This is a VIP festival with limited tickets available to allow an intimate, exceptional experience. Guests at the Arch Ray Solar Eclipse Fest will enjoy overnight accommodations for RV boondocking and full access to the resort with a winery, brewery, distillery, and farm-to-table restaurant.

Ron Yates Wines Solar Eclipse Party, Hye

Photo courtesy Ron Yates Wines

Join the Ron Yates Wines Solar Eclipse Party on Monday, April 8! At this epic event, attendees can watch the rare celestial event unfold from the breathtaking hill country acreage behind the winery for perfect eclipse viewing. Ron Yates Wines is in the direct path of totality, and there is simply no better way to experience this once-in-a-lifetime event! Entry begins at 8:00 am, allowing attendees plenty of time to get in, park, and set up their area for the day. Guests are encouraged to bring camping chairs and blankets. Ron Yates will have plenty of space for visitors to get comfortable at the venue’s 10+ acres of party land! Plus, Ron Yates wines will be available for purchase, along with a special, vintage wine bar to taste past, present, and future releases. There will food, wine, a game area reserved for horseshoes, bocce ball, corn hole, maybe even axe-throwing, and live music. The opening band is Soul Wagon, which specializes in classic 50’s and 60’s era jazz. A perfect vibe for kickin’ back outside with a glass of wine. Headliners, Mike and the Moonpies, who just changed their name to Silverada, are layered with Telecaster twang and honky-tonk harmonies, making the perfect soundtrack for a total eclipse. Early Bird General Admission tickets are $125 and Early Bird VIP tickets are $250.

 

Kuhlman Cellars’ Eclipse Party, Stonewall

Photo courtesy Kuhlman Cellars

Kuhlman Cellars in Stonewall will have an Eclipse Party from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Monday, April 8. The daylong event features a gourmet breakfast and lunch, wine, eclipse safety glasses, souvenirs, live music, and numerous vineyard activities to enjoy before and after the eclipse. Kuhlman Cellars Eclipse Party Tickets cost $200 for Vina Vita Wine Club members for up to six guests and $225 for non-club members and include:

  • Admission to the vineyard Estate + an open space to view the Eclipse away from the crowds

  • Delicious continental Breakfast & hot Italian Lunch

    • The breakfast buffet includes assorted housemade frittata such as ham and gruyere and sun-dried tomato goat cheese, breakfast sausage, seasonal fruit, and a wide array of fresh pastries as well as coffee service

    • The hot lunch includes Sicilian lasagna chef’s signature salad with local greens, and cheesy pull-apart garlic bread. Vegetarian and gluten free options are also available.

  • Two complimentary glasses of wine served in keepsake Tossware glass

  • Eclipse Safety Glasses

  • Custom Kuhlman Eclipse Sticker

  • Live Jazz Music by Modal Mojo – Noon to 3:00 p.m.

  • Fun vineyard and winery activities such as:

    • Vineyard tours

    • Sensory analysis competitions

    • Blind wine tasting classes

    • A presentation on the history of Texas wine

    • An educational tour of Kuhlman’s Monarch Butterfly Garden; and,

    • Special sneak-peek tasting samples of the 2023 whites & rosé wines!

 

Totalityville, Johnson City

Photo courtesy Vinovium Winery

Get ready for the cosmic celebration of the year at Totalityville, happening at Vinovium Winery, just outside Johnson City in the beautiful Texas Hill Country! Nestled in the path of totality, Vinovium Winery boasts a picturesque setting that perfectly complements the fantastic wines of the Texas Hill Country and beyond. Join us for three days of camping – with live music each night, food trucks, community, games, daily yoga and more, all leading up to the grand finale on April 8…a complete solar eclipse with over 4 minutes of totality! Saturday, April 6 – Tuesday, April 9 with an option for early entry on Friday, April 5. Get your tickets now at www.totalityville.com.

 

Wedding Oak Winery (Burnet, Fredericksburg, and San Saba)

Courtesy photo

Join Wedding Oak Winery on April 8 at any of their three tasting room locations (Burnet, Fredericksburg, and San Saba) for an unforgettable experience during the Eclipse of 2024. From 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Wedding Oak Winery will open its doors for this special event. Guests can enjoy unobstructed views of the eclipse amidst the expansive skies. Each ticket includes a complimentary bottle of Wedding Oak Winery’s Eclipse 2024 Commemorative Wine, Wedding Oak Winery Eclipse Glasses, a Go Vino Stemless Glass, access to prime viewing areas, small food bites, and live entertainment. Don’t miss this chance to witness the eclipse in style at Wedding Oak Winery! Tickets are $200 and be be purchased online by location. 

 

Austin area

In  the Path of Totality

Photo Courtesy Waterloo Greenway

The Simons Foundation, in collaboration with Waterloo Greenway Conservancy and the Long Center for the Performing Arts, is organizing a three-day celebration from April 7-9 to mark the total solar eclipse. On April 7, Waterloo Greenway hosts “The Universe in Verse,” a science-themed poetry and storytelling show. The main event on April 8 takes place at the Long Center, featuring a viewing party with entertainment, a special Radiolab episode recording, and a visual storytelling experience led by acclaimed writers Roxane Gay and Debbie Millman. The celebration includes custom eclipse-themed beer. April 9 concludes with a space-themed children’s reading.

 

Lake Austin Spa Resort

Photo Courtesy Lake Austin Spa Resort

Lake Austin Spa Resort invites you to join them in the path of totality for the total solar eclipse on April 8. The event includes features such as dining under the stars, an open-air lunch before the eclipse, and a Cosmic Garden Party from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on April 8. Enjoy group viewing of the eclipse in the garden area with facts and lore shared by local expert Ann Miller. You can view the eclipse on land or the lake with their Boat & Float option. The resort provides luxurious accommodations on secluded lakefront acreage and offers various daily activities, including meals, hikes, spa facilities, fitness classes, and more. All-inclusive amenities like solar viewing safety glasses and complimentary parking are part of the experience.

 

Hilton Austin

Courtesy photo

Hilton Austin will host an unforgettable experience at the Eclipse & Sips Rooftop Viewing Party from 12:30- 3:30 p.m. Located on the Rooftop Pool Deck, guests and locals alike can indulge in themed cocktails and mocktails like Lunar Lemonade, Solar Sunrise, and Total Eclipse Elixir. Complimentary viewing glasses will be provided, ensuring you catch every moment of the rare eclipse. With panoramic views of downtown Austin, the pool deck offers the perfect vantage point for this once-in-a-lifetime celestial event.

 

Cypress Valley

Courtesy photo

Cypress Valley is in the “Path of Totality,” offering once in a lifetime opportunities to view the solar eclipse through an intimate and unique treehouse or Glamping Village tent experience. Or, host the party of the century at the fabulous Ranch House, an outdoor event center nestled in the woods of Hill Country. With a few treehouses and tents left to rent overnight, be sure to book your stay fast! P.S. They have your NASA eclipse glasses ready for use!

San Antonio

Solar Brunch at The Moon’s Daughters, Thompson San Antonio – Riverwalk

Photo Courtesy Thompson San Antonio – Riverwalk

Thompson San Antonio – Riverwalk invites guests to its signature restaurant, The Moon’s Daughters, for a rooftop Solar Brunch on April 8. The event features signature eclipse-themed cocktails and breathtaking views. Tickets include rooftop access, a brunch buffet, a complimentary welcome drink, and special Solar Eclipse Sunglasses. This 21+ event has limited tickets, and sales are final without refunds. 

 

The Alamo Eclipse Watch

Photo Courtesy The Alamo

Join the community at the Alamo in downtown San Antonio for an optimal viewing experience of the total solar eclipse on Monday, April 8. The event will take place at Alamo Plaza from 12:00 – 3:00 p.m. Commemorative solar eclipse glasses featuring the iconic parapet roofline of the Alamo will be available soon for direct solar viewing. The event is free of charge.

 

Waco area

The Eclipse Over Texas: Live from Waco

Photo Courtesy The Eclipse Over Texas: Live from Waco

The Eclipse Over Texas: Live from Waco event promises an engaging experience featuring telescopes, educational activities, programs, food trucks, and family fun. Lowell Observatory and Baylor University Astronomers will be onsite to provide valuable insights. Throughout the weekend (April 5-9), various events are scheduled to keep families busy, including the TEAMClipse celebration, a family-friendly exploration of science, technology, engineering, arts, and math presented by ESC Region 12 and the City of Waco. Additional events include the Glow Over Waco 5K Fun Run, performances of “American Eclipse,” a musical set in 1878.  On Monday, April 8 a free shuttle from downtown Waco will start at 8 a.m. and end at 5 p.m., providing convenient transportation. The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at McLane Stadium, South Plaza, and Touchdown Alley.

 

Camp Fimfo

Courtesy photo

Camp Fimfo Waco will be one of the few locations that the Eclipse will be at 100% totality on April 8. They will be hosting an Eclipse Party and have activities all day long such as eclipse crafts, galaxy jars, space mixology class, space bingo, star puzzle, and live music.

 

Celest Fest Eclipse, Belton

Photo Courtesy Celest Fest Eclipse

Celest Fest Eclipse is a 4-day connective experience (April 5-9) in Belton. Around 500 people are brought together to create a village, share quality meals, sing sacred songs, dance, and immerse in spring-fed waters, fostering euphoric states without substances. Participants engage in various activities, including morning sound baths, embodied flow, communal meals, morning circles, and workshops such as contact improv, singing ceremonies, laughter yoga, and meditations. The event emphasizes healing, laughter, and forming stronger connections with each other and nature. Pods, small group circles with facilitators, provide a safe space for authentic relating games and sharing experiences. These pods meet on multiple days, allowing participants to speak, be heard, and listen, providing anchor points throughout Celest Fest. Participants will co-create a unique and potent ceremony, sharing a moment to connect with the land and cosmos. Participants will make a procession to join other groups in one unified song around the lake. As the song concludes, participants will witness the eclipse of the sun by the moon, experiencing the awe and wonder of this shared human experience.

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Photo Courtesy Jongsun Lee on Unsplash

Sara Aguinaga’s passions include reading, creating art, and traveling. She enjoys exploring the culinary diversity across the expansive Lone Star State. As a licensed massage therapist, she strives to bring peace to the lives of others.