Eclipse Weekend In Little Rock Is Ideal For Families, Children
Eclipse weekend in Little Rock is a perfect adventure for families and children of all ages. Whether your kids are musical, artsy, or animal lovers, Little Rock has a lot to offer the whole family on eclipse weekend.
Eclipse weekend in Little Rock is a perfect adventure for families and children of all ages. Whether your kids are musical, artsy, or animal lovers, Little Rock has a lot to offer the whole family on eclipse weekend.
The family can enjoy a weekend of musical performances at the First Security Amphitheater in Riverfront Park, along the banks of the Arkansas River. The free concert series will include performances on all three days of eclipse weekend. Jazz and funk group Rodney Block Collective & All-Star Friends will perform from 6-8 p.m., Saturday, April 6. Gates will open at 5 p.m.
Country musician Ward Davis will perform from 8-9:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 7. Gates will open at 6 p.m. The Cons of Formant will perform as the opening act from 7-7:45 p.m.
On April 8, The Machine Performs Pink Floyd will take the stage from approximately 12:40-1:40 p.m., pausing for a 20-minute intermission ahead of full totality between 1:51-1:54 p.m. The band will then resume their performance from 2-3 p.m., with partial totality concluding at 3:11 p.m. Gates will open for the show at 11 a.m.
If anyone in your family has an artistic side, spend the morning of Saturday, April 6, at the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts for “Creative Saturday: Eclipse Edition.” This event, held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., offers the chance to decorate and personalize a pair of solar eclipse glasses. Creative materials such as markers, paint pens, feathers, stickers, and sequins will be available to make the glasses your own.
The museum will then hold an eclipse viewing party on Monday, April 8, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., on its Crescent Lawn. This event is free for museum members and children under 10, and $10 for nonmembers. Click here for more information.
Downtown Little Rock’s River Market District offers a variety of restaurants to fit all tastes. Whether you’re in the mood for something quick and casual or something a little more elegant, you’ll find what you’re looking for in the River Market.
Also be sure to check out the Vogel Schwartz Sculpture Garden, which is positioned along the banks of the Arkansas River. (Connected to Riverfront Park, this could also be a good spot to observe the eclipse on Monday, April 8.)
If you’re traveling with children, an obvious stop will be the Museum of Discovery. This museum is perfect for kids because of its fun and educational exhibits, which can be enjoyed by adults as well. Be sure to look at the gift shop for something to remember the trip.
The South Main (SoMa) neighborhood is planning an elaborate eclipse-day celebration with SoMa in the Dark: Path of Totality Eclipse Watch Party. The event includes a viewing area from 12th to 17th streets complete with seats, telescopes, refreshments, viewing glasses and other amenities down the center of Main Street.
Also, another fun activity planned for eclipse weekend is the 6th Annual Barkus on Main, a Mardi Gras-themed dog parade taking place at noon Sunday, April 7, in the SoMa neighborhood. This is a fun, family-friendly event, and there’s still time to register your dog to participate in the parade.
If you or your kids are animal lovers, Eclipse Day at the Little Rock Zoo is a great activity for everyone. Tickets can be purchased online (and must be purchased in advance) and include zoo admission and glasses that will allow you to view the eclipse safely. The zoo is offering a “Pull Up Tailgate Party” in the gated private lot on their grounds as well.
The Witt Stephens Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center is also hosting some fun eclipse day events. From 10-11 a.m., one of their educators will be outside with native Arkansas animal furs, weather permitting. If the weather is not cooperating, the educator will be inside. From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., there will be eclipse crafts in the theater, with stations set up for visitors to create their own nature journal or for children to create a mask which will help hold their eclipse glasses in place. At 3 p.m., an educator in the exhibit hall will feed the variety of fish and reptiles housed at the nature center.
Click here to view up-to-date information on the April 8, 2024, total solar eclipse in Little Rock.
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