By Joshua Maloni

GM/Managing Editor

The Historical Association of Lewiston on Thursday announced a special event planned around the total eclipse of the sun next spring.

“Something very special is going to happen on Monday, April 8, 2024,” Lee Simonson announced at the annual “Lewiston Jeopardy” fundraiser inside the Brickyard Brewing Company. “It's going to be the first time in 100 years that Western New York is going to experience the total eclipse of the sun. People are going to be traveling all over the world to see this. I already know people from California who are going to be arriving in Western New York.

“Well, the other communities can do their thing and have little star-watching parties. That's fine. We're going to do something a little bit different.”

From 2-4:30 p.m. that day, HAL will present “The Eclipse: A Step Back in Time.” A promotional poster states, “Experience Lewiston's history as day turns to night. Take a step back in time to the 1820s and the ‘Era of Good Feelings’ as the village is cloaked in totality by the celestial ‘Ring of Fire.’ ”

Simonson said, “At 2 o'clock, the partial eclipse starts – and whether it's sunny or whether it's cloudy doesn't matter; it will be dark. The partial eclipse starts at 2 o'clock. The total eclipse is going to be at 3:18 in the afternoon. At 3:18, it’ll be a total eclipse for about four minutes, and then it will start back into getting light until 4:30.

“We're going to transform Center Street, which is going to be closed. … It's going to be 1820s-themed, and it's going to be spectacular.”

More event details will be announced closer to the event date.

Historical Association of Lewiston member Leandra Collesano and President Ken Slaugenhoupt display a promotional poster for “The Eclipse: A Step Back in Time.”

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On the NASA website, a section dedicated to the 2024 total eclipse reads, “A total solar eclipse will cross North America, passing over Mexico, the United States, and Canada. A total solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, completely blocking the face of the Sun. The sky will darken as if it were dawn or dusk.

“Safety is the number one priority when viewing a total solar eclipse. Be sure you're familiar with when you need to wear specialized eye protection designed for solar viewing by reviewing these safety guidelines.”

The landing page notes, “After the total eclipse on April 8, 2024, the next total solar eclipse that can be seen from the contiguous United States will be on Aug. 23, 2044.”

See also >> PHOTOS: 'Lewiston Jeopardy' raises funds for HAL