On August 21 at exactly 2:38 p.m. you’ll have your chance to witness the moon completely cover the sun, blocking the sun’s rays for 2 minutes and 40 seconds (only the solar atmosphere around it will be visible).
A Total Solar Eclipse in the Upstate won’t happen again until 2078, people. Here’s where to enjoy it. Strap on your *Solar Eclipse glasses as we take a tour of Greenville’s best viewing parties.
*Eclipse-watchers must wear eclipse glasses – not sunglasses. The Sun’s UV radiation can seriously injure the retinas; for real. If you can’t make a party below, we’ve listed some places to snag them in the last paragraph.
Rooftops:
Ink N’ Ivy | 12 – 3 p.m. | Viewing party will be up on the rooftop with live Music by Spencer Rush. Glasses are free and blue plate specials will be available for $10.
Up on the Roof | 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. | $40 entry which includes entry to the rooftop, light apps, Caribbean-inspired tunes from Kelly Jo & Buffaloe and eclipse sunglasses. | SOLD OUT
Spread out with the fam:
The Great American Eclipse | Greer City Park | 12 – 3 p.m. | Free + first 1,000 people get free glasses
Solar Spectacular | Lake Conestee Nature Park | 12:30 – 3:30 p.m. | $20 admission for adults, $10 for kids under 12
Area 44 Eclipse Party | Woodside Park, Fountain Inn | 1 – 4 p.m. | Carolinas Growers Group will have the grill fired up + Tony’s Pizza will be selling ‘za by the slice | Free admission + eclipse glasses
Lights out Mauldin | Mauldin Cultural Center | 11:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. | Free | 99.5 Chuck FM will be providing the tunes and glasses will be provided for free while supplies last.
Anderson Jockey Lot: We Eclipse Them All Party | 4530 Highway 29 N, Belton, SC | 7 a.m. – 4 p.m. | Free glasses to the first 1,000 people.
Eclipse at Furman | Furman University’s Paladin Stadium | 12 – 3 p.m. | Free admission and glasses + live narration from Furman scientists.
Solar Eclipse viewing party at Denver Downs Farm | 1515 Denver Rd. Anderson, SC | 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. | $11.75 gets you in and a pair of sunglasses. The farm will have a misting area for adults and a slip and slide for the kids
- HIS Radio Eclipse Party | Jeff Lynch parking lot, 17 Roper Mtn Rd. | 12:30 – 3:30 p.m. | Jeff Lynch and HIS Radio will have food vendors and games to play up until the eclipse and will also be giving away free glasses to the first 500 people + it’s free to come.
Falls Park | Snag a pair of glasses, a blanket, a snack and enjoy the eclipse from the gem of downtown Greenville | Free
For the foodie:
- Standing on the Moon - Solar Eclipse Party with Phuncle Sam | Quest Brewing Company | 12 – 6 p.m. | Free admission, beer specials, and 2 full sets of Grateful Dead covers
Eclipse over NOMA | NOMA Square | 1 – 4 p.m. | Free | Watch the eclipse then take your pick of downtown restaurants to grub out at.
Total Eclipse of the Sun Party | Swamp Rabbit Cafe and Grocery | 1:39 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. | Free to get in, but glasses will be in limited supply.
Solar Eclipse Party at City Scape Winery | 12 – 5 p.m. | $15 general admission | Yard games, live music, and of course, wine.
For the Kids:
AJW Eclipse Fest 2017 | AJ Whittenburg Elementary School of Engineering | 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. | Free admission with free glasses for the first 500 people.
Total Solar Eclipse at The Children’s Museum of the Upstate | 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. | $10 | Pinhole viewers provided and food from Coastal Crust, King of Pops, and Brusters will be on site + a live stream from NASA and the Smithsonian
- Solar Eclipse Extravaganza at the Roper Mountain Science Center | Their day-of event is completely sold out but they have special pre-eclipse programs happening on Saturday (Aug. 19) and Sunday (Aug. 20) such as make and take solar ovens, sun dials, paper plate sun catchers, sun prints using solar paper, solar bead bracelets, and eclipse arts and crafts. Snag your weekend tickets here.
Greenville Zoo | Although the Zoo isn’t hosting an official event, hearing and seeing the animals react to two minutes of darkness in the middle of the day should be a unique experience. | Zoo admission is $9 for Adults, $5.75 for kids.
Bob Jones University | 1 – 3 p.m. | Students in 7th-12th grades, their parents and schools, are invited for science experiments and an interactive viewing experience.
Greenville’s Hughes Main Library | 11:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. | A special telescope will be available to view the eclipse
The kids are out of school, your boss will most likely be at one of the parties above, so you have zero excuses to miss this potentially once-in-a-lifetime experience. However, with fun, safety follows, so be sure to check out Greenville Health System’s tips on how to safely view the Total Solar Eclipse here.
If you have to work and still need glasses, here’s where you can pick them up:
- VisitGreenvilleSC will be giving away pairs of glasses in the coming weeks. Follow them on Instagram to find out more.
- The GHS Eye Institute is also making glasses (approved by NASA and AAS) which can be picked up at Eye Institute’s offices in Greenville (104 Simpson St.), Spartanburg ( 333 S. Pine St.) and Easley (109 Fleetwood Drive, Suite B), while they last.
- Eclipse safe viewing glasses for sale Monday-Friday from 9:00am-1:00pm in Harrison Hall at Roper Mountain Science Center
- 1 pair: $2.00
- 4 pair: $6.00
- 10 pair: $12.00
- You can also purchase them for $1 a piece from Carolina.com.[embed]https://youtu.be/8jB68eSVrpU[/embed]
