Searcy preparing for solar eclipse with fresh coat of paint

SEARCY, Ark. – The total solar eclipse should attract over a million guests to the state according to the Arkansas Department of Transportation, and many towns and cities are doing all they can think of to be an attractive place to stop and look up.

A brush with something astronomical will be in the sky and everything under it in Searcy. The city’s art alley transformed Friday to become something out of this world.

“I was a little intimidated when I walked up and my teacher said this is your spot and I said, ‘Oh well, this is great,’” Lexi Mize said.

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Mize, a junior at Searcy High School, is responsible for a 15x15ft space with some friends and is one of about 20 students from Searcy High, Harding Academy and River View School District who played a part in drawing people in for a total solar eclipse.

Though the eclipse will only last about three minutes, preparations have gone on for more than a year.

“We don’t know how many people are going to show up, but we wanted to be as prepared for anything that comes our way,” Searcy Eclipse Coordinator Jenna Friday said.

Getting advice from the state and other towns, Jenna Friday is expecting their population of roughly 23,000 people to double or even triple on April 8. For so many tourists to find a place, there will be four official public viewing locations. They are the Riverview Stadium, Lion Stadium, Berryhill Park, and Searcy Event Center.

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The largest eclipse viewing is called Galaxy Fest which will be at the Searcy Event Center and will be Star Wars-themed.

“As far as we know we are the only town doing that in the path of totality. We’ll have everything from a heavy metal Star Wars cosplay band headliner, a 35-foot fire dome, as well as what’s called a padawan training academy led by our local taekwondo company,” Friday said.

The space theme extends before and after the eclipse, including the night of April 8 when Harding University will host former astronaut Captain Jerry Linenger in the Benson Auditorium as a speaker.

“We’re becoming like a big tourist spot,” Mize said.

Even if the main attraction is moments long, the hope is that the impression will last.

“I want them to leave here thinking ‘Man, what a fun town with so much fun stuff to do,” Friday said.

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Friday added she thinks Searcy may be one of the only places handing out 50,000 pairs of free solar eclipse sunglasses. For more information on events happening in the city of Searcy, visit EclipseSearcy.com.

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