SHELBY COUNTY, Ind. — Now just six months away, central Indiana will go dark for about 4 minutes in the middle of the afternoon on April 8. Visitors will swarm to Indianapolis and surrounding communities in the path of the total solar eclipse.
Mostly rural Shelby County is preparing for what is expected to be the biggest event in its history. On a rainy fall day in rural Shelbyville, Tony Armstrong is thinking about the sun next spring.
Armstrong is making plans with his family to welcome visitors to watch the total solar eclipse on the grounds of the seven-generation Meltzer family farm. The farm already does some agritourism with a pumpkin patch and corn maze in the fall. But there are plenty of logistics to consider before next spring, even though the eclipse lasts less than 4 minutes.
“Four minutes? I’m sure I can handle 4 minutes,” Armstrong said with a laugh.
The path of the eclipse totality cuts across the United States from Maine to Texas, and the center of the path goes right through northern Shelby County.
"We're still working hard to get the word out to the community to make sure that they know that it's going to be a big deal, whether they're interested or not,” said Jeff Kuhn, Shelby County eclipse coordinator. There's going to be people that are coming to town.”
Officials are expecting 50,000-100,000 visitors, which would double or triple the county's population.
At 3:06 p.m. on Monday, April 8, the moon will completely cover the sun for 3 minutes, 59.1 seconds in Shelbyville.
"Shelby County has more rural locations that for those diehards who want to see totality and see the darkness,” Kuhn said. “They can get out of the city lights, get to those places where the lights are not going to come on and they're going to get to experience that total darkness throughout totality."
Meltzer Farm is one of those places. What’s now a corn maze will become a campground in April, an open field with perhaps hundreds of visitors in a perfect location to view the solar eclipse.
"We're just going to divide off some spots in the 11 acres, and then, they get camping or viewing,” Armstrong said. “We're not going to be high-stressed, and we're going to have fun. You get here and I think you can see that it's more laid back, not corporate. We'll someday sit there and say, 'Hey, remember when we had the eclipse and this and that happened?' But anyway, it’s a way to make a little money."
An astronomy group from the Chicago area has rented the Shelby County Fairgrounds and is bringing special equipment to view the eclipse.
Blue River Memorial Park can handle thousands of guests. Other private property owners and civic organizations are making plans to rent camping and viewing space for the eclipse.
Indiana communities throughout the path of totality are planning events and preparing for visitors. NASA will broadcast the eclipse live from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.