The City of Presque Isle is currently knee-deep in its preparation for the total solar eclipse which will take place on April 8, 2024. While solar eclipses take place roughly every 18 months, the likelihood of reappearing in the same place is another 375 years. The next solar eclipse in the United States will be in 2044, with totality only viewable in the United States in the upper Midwest.
The 2024 solar eclipse will be seen in its totality right here in central Aroostook. It will begin at 2:22 p.m. with totality at 3:33 p.m., and ending at 4:40 p.m. Taking a lesson from a small town in Kentucky who experienced a total eclipse in 2017, the city of Presque Isle expects 10,000 to 40,000 visitors in April.
The Kentucky town had 101 visiting airplanes, 116,000 visitors and an economic impact to the community of $28.1 million.
Presque Isle is a full-service city with an international airport, large hotel venues, a vibrant downtown and multiple restaurants. As such, this event can have a large economic impact to our area. Local businesses should plan to have sufficient staff to adequately serve the visitors to make their experience in Presque Isle pleasantly memorable.
There are five designated “star parks” or viewing areas in Presque Isle: the Northern Maine Fairgrounds, general assistance at the airport, the University of Maine at Presque Isle, the Aroostook Centre Mall and the Riverside Pavilion. Special viewing glasses are required for safely viewing the eclipse and are being sold locally by Presque Isle High School’s National Honor Society for $3 each. A portion of the proceeds will help National Honor Society students attend their state conference.
Rotary has purchased books to educate youth on eclipses for Pine Street Elementary, and the Kiwanis have paid for books for the public library and Wintergreen’s preschool.
The city, through a Maine Office of Tourism marketing grant, will undertake a print and radio ad campaign to attract our neighbors in southern Maine and Canada.
Due to the fact that we have limited means of egress (Routes 1 and 11), events are being planned to keep visitors in the area and hopefully stagger departure days and times.
For more information, please visit our eclipse website at: https://2024solareclipse.wixsite.com/2024-great-star-city.
Kimberly R. Smith is the resource development and public information officer for the city of Presque Isle. She can be reached at 760-2722 or via email at ksmith@presqueisleme.us.
