The solar eclipse will be clearly visible Aug. 21 to observers across the United States as the path of totality spans the nation from coast to coast. The following events, gathered by the Recorder, are viewing parties and other associated events taking place in the Ponte Vedra, Jacksonville, St. Augustine area leading up to and on eclipse day.
Eclipse Live Stream and Learning Lab
The Ponte Vedra Beach Branch Library will await the eclipse with a live nationwide stream on the library's big screen with surround sound. Attendees can view the stream, read new astronomy books and create solar eclipse viewers (bring your own cereal box). The event will be held Aug. 21 from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at 101 Library Blvd. in Ponte Vedra Beach.
Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa to host solar eclipse viewing party August 21
The Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa is hosting a solar eclipse viewing party on Cascades Deck at 1 p.m. Aug. 21. To be held at 1000 PGA Tour Blvd., attendees can celebrate the moon's path crossing in front of the sun with eclipse-themed activities such as “make your own pinhole viewer,” sun catcher painting and other earth-moon-sun crafts. The event will also feature live entertainment, specialty cocktails (the Eclipse Martini and the Sudsy Eclipse with layered drafts Guinness and Shock Top) and culinary options like pork sliders, calzone, salads and desserts. The entry fee is $18.
Stories for Young Children: Solar Eclipse Edition
To be held Aug. 21 at the Jacksonville Public Library's Main Library at 303 N Laura St., this event is for children birth to 5 years old with an adult caregiver. Starting at 11 a.m. and ending at noon, the event includes solar eclipse stories, books, fingerplays, nursery rhymes and songs that promote language development, vocabulary building and comprehension.
The Great American Eclipse at the Jacksonville Public Library
The Jacksonville Public Library will also present an eclipse watch party on Aug. 21 at 1 p.m. in which attendees can explore the science behind eclipses with hands-on projects and activities before viewing the eclipse at 2 p.m. in the Main Library Courtyard. Eclipse glasses will be available while supplies last.
Eclipse Viewing Party at Timucuan Ecological & Historic Preserve
The Timucuan Ecological & Historic Preserve will host a solar eclipse viewing party Aug. 21 from 1 to 4 p.m. at 12713 Ford Caroline Road in Jacksonville. Handheld solar viewers will be available in the parks, but numbers are limited.
Solar Eclipse Party at University of North Florida
The UNF Physics Department, UNF Student Union and UNF Campus Life will host an eclipse viewing party from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Aug. 21 at the Coxwell Amphitheater next to the student union, building 58. Physics students and faculty will be onsite to answer questions. A limited number of viewing glasses and telescopes will be provided to safely view this event. Hawaiian shaved ice will be available for students with a valid Osprey 1Card. This event is free and open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to park in Lot 18, near Harmon Baseball Stadium, building 27. Visitor parking costs $2.
Fort Mantanzas Solar Eclipse Experience
Rangers and volunteers at Fort Matanzas National Monument have several activities planned to commemorate the solar eclipse. Aug. 18 through Aug. 21, activities for the whole family will be available. Attendees can earn eclipse Jr. Ranger stickers and view special videos about the history and science of solar eclipses. The Aug. 21 event will take place at the Visitor Center at 1 p.m. A ranger will host a presentation on the history and cultural perspectives of solar eclipses. Fort Mantanzas is located at 8635 A1A South in St. Augustine. For additional information, call (904) 471-0116.
The Big Cover Up: Shining A Light on Solar Eclipses
The Bryan-Gooding Planetarium at MOSH (Museum of Science and History) will host a presentation Aug. 16 from 6 to 8 p.m. on noteworthy past eclipses and everything Florida residents should know about the Aug. 21 Great American Eclipse. Special guests for the event will include Action News Jax Chief Meteorologist Mike Buresh and NASA Solar System Ambassadors Bharath Muthyala and Sam Turley. MOSH is located at 1025 Museum Circle in Jacksonville.
SJC’s Solar Eclipse Event
St. Johns County, in partnership with NASA@MyLibrary, is hosting a free solar eclipse viewing celebration from 1 to 4 p.m. Aug. 21 at Collier-Blocker-Puryear Park, 10 N. Holmes Blvd in St. Augustine. Residents and visitors are encouraged to bring lawn chairs. Safety glasses, provided by the Space Science Institute, as well as solar-filtered telescopes and binoculars will be provided to participants to view the eclipse. For more information, call (904) 827-6944.
