LEWISTON — Volunteers are working to turn Center Street into a living history display as a solar eclipse moves through the area on April 8.
“The Eclipse: A Step Back in Time” seeks to give the expected thousands of visitors viewing the eclipse a glimpse of what life was like in the 1800s. The Lewiston village board has approved the closing of Center Street, between 4th and 6th streets, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. for the event.
Lee Simonson, one of the event organizers, said that since this is a once in a lifetime experience, they wanted to have sone fun with it.
“We wanted to do something unique and educational, make it more than a viewing party,” Simonson said.
Other volunteers putting the event together come from the Upward Niagara Chamber of Commerce, the Historical Association of Lewiston, the Lewiston Council on the Arts, and the Tuscarora Nation. All donations and expenses will be handled by the Historical Association.
The upcoming solar eclipse will be the first one that’s visible in the United States since Aug. 21, 2017. Its totality path will go from Texas to Maine over a three-hour period, and Western New York is on that path.
When passing through the region, the partial eclipse will last 2.5 hours, from 2:04 p.m. to 4:32 p.m. The time of totality will be about 3.5 minutes, from 3:18:24 p.m. to 3:21:41 p.m. Lewiston’s street lighting will be turned off and illumination will be by lit candles only.
“We are not going to upstage nature,” Simonson said. “We want it dark and quiet during the three minutes of totality.”
This will be far from the only local event observing the eclipse. NASA previously announced it will collaborate with New York State Parks to provide free programming throughout Niagara Falls starting on April 4.
Presently, organizers in Lewiston are in discussions with demonstrators such as a furrier, a blacksmith, a candlemaker and a town cryer to be part of the event. Approximately 30,000 placemats describing event details will be distributed at the Apple Granny Restaurant on Center Street.
As for parking, Simonson said the situation will be like any village festival, when there’s uncertainty how many will show up. Police Chief Frank Previte and DPW Superintendent Larry Willis said they expect crowds rivaling past Artpark events; Previte remarked that anywhere from 100 to 100,000 people could be in attendance.
Posters commemorating the eclipse are available for purchase at the Lewiston History Museum. They are 24 inches by 36 inches and cost $25.
Further updates will be posted on the Lewiston Eclipse Facebook page. Any other ideas from the community can be sent to organizers through lewistoneclipse@gmail.com.