SULPHUR SPRINGS -- Residents in the town of Sulphur Springs are planning a three-day event to celebrate the April 8 solar eclipse. Their idea is to create a festive event similar to their Sulphur Day, which is held each summer.
"NASA is calling this the Great American Eclipse," says organizer Angela Stocksdale, "since it will be the last eclipse to be seen in America for another 20 years." That seems reason enough to celebrate. The eclipse itself will occur at midday on Monday, about 1:52 p.m., she noted. Stocksdale recommends Sulphur Springs as a quiet, small town with open areas from which to view the eclipse.
Activities will begin on Saturday, April 6, with a MannaFest at the Manna Cafe at the corner of Highway 59 and Duff Avenue. The Manna will open at 9 a.m., offering breakfast burritos and coffee, and will be open until 10 p.m. that day. Live music performances are scheduled from 4 p.m. to closing. Leroy's Cafe, down on Hibler Avenue, will also be open for breakfast and lunch. Owners Jesse and Beverly Bullard will offer good old home cookin' from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Sulphur Unite will sponsor Sunday activities from 2 to 4 p.m. at the gazebo in the park with worship music and an open mic for what they hope will be "a time of edification and inspiration."
The main festivities will occur on Monday, the day of the eclipse, with music, food, and craft vendors in the park. The Sulphur Springs Community Museum will be open and will be offering free popcorn, and the Sulphur Springs Library will have a booth distributing free solar viewing glasses.
The SKO Event Center will be open and will be turned into an artisan bakery for the weekend, offering Danishes from Scrumptious Crumb and other local baked goods, including sourdough bread and cookies each day.
Several vendor booths will be set up in the park. Natural Sweet Life will be doing face painting and offering bracelet-making and jewelry. Other vendors will include Aug's Sycamore Stash, which features handmade furniture; Smoky Lotus, which offers essential oils and oil blends; and Green Fuel Tabs to increase fuel mileage.
Vendor booths are still being sought. Those interested can visit the Eclipse24NWA.com website or contact Stocksdale at 813-428-3701.