Plan to sell food or campsites during the solar eclipse? Check with health department
Ohioans planning to offer lodging or concessions during the April 8 total solar eclipse should make sure they follow all health department guidelines to avoid penalties.
Landowners considering renting out portions of their lawns or fields to campers and anyone hoping to sell food or snacks to passersby during the eclipse could find themselves subject to one or more health laws.
The fastest way Ohioans can ensure they are compliant is by checking with their local health departments, according to Joe Harrod, environmental health director for Richland Public Health.
"Contact us directly if you're thinking about doing one of these things," Harrod said. "We can kind of walk you through what you're wanting to do and then we can let you know what the requirements are."
Can I offer camping or sell food during the eclipse?
Most of the people or entities hoping to offer services for the Buckeye State's hundreds of thousands of visitors will likely only need temporary licensures, according to Kate Siefert, health commissioner for Crawford County. Some might not need any.
"We have already had a few folks come in to take out applications for temporary food licenses and temporary campground permits for the event," Siefert said.
Siefert explained that Ohio law requires a short-term license "any time food is offered for sale or for a required donation," even if it's only for one day.
A similar law mandates a short-term permit be obtained by anyone operating a temporary campground.
There are a lot of nuances, though, which is why officials from every county say it's best to ask for guidance.
"We would much prefer to begin working with people as soon as they are considering their options for either selling food or renting out places for RVs/tents for camping," Siefert said. "If we fully understand what they are thinking about doing, we can help guide them through the process and ensure they are offering their foods/camping in a safe manner and that they are not breaking any Ohio laws."
Those interested in such events should call the health department for the county where it will be held. In Richland County, the number is 419-774-4500. In Crawford County, it's 419-562-5871.
When is the solar eclipse in 2024?
The eclipse will be on April 8, a Monday. the afternoon sky will go dark for 3 minutes, 16 seconds on April 8, 2024, when the moon passes between the sun and Earth to create the first total solar eclipse in Ohio in 208 years.
The centerline of the eclipse — the middle of the shadow's path — will stretch from Texas to Maine.
The eclipse will enter western Ohio about 3:10 p.m. near the city of Greenville in Darke County, according to a NASA map.
The path of the eclipse will travel northeast, reaching Cleveland by 3:15 p.m., then Erie, Pennsylvania, by about 3:18 p.m.
The totality viewing area will be a 124-mile wide strip angling from the southwest to northeast corners of the state.
The apex of the centerline will be in Forest, a village 35 miles west of Bucyrus in Wyandot County.
Estimates are that as many as 250,000 people will travel to the Mansfield area alone that weekend for a closer look at the once-in-a-lifetime event.
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This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Food sales, campsite rentals during solar eclipse subject to Ohio law
