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Friends,
Five weeks from today, Little Rock will experience a rare celestial event expected to bring thousands of visitors to our City and region. We are in the path of a total solar eclipse, which will occur here in Little Rock around 1:51 p.m. on Monday, April 8.
Many of us recall the partial eclipse in the summer of 2017, but this will be the first time Little Rock will experience a total solar eclipse since 1918. As one of just a handful of metropolitan areas in the path of totality, we expect tourists from around the world to be here early next month. While you merely need to look to the sky to see the main attraction, we want to make sure all our visitors and residents have a great time celebrating this rare moment.
The City of Little Rock is taking a multi-tiered approach to curating the best experience possible for our residents and guests leading up to and during the eclipse. Most importantly, to ensure the safety of everyone in the City, our police, fire and emergency management personnel have implemented a strategic plan to protect everyone celebrating on April 8 and the days leading up to the eclipse. We ask for patience because we expect heavy traffic, especially the afternoon of the eclipse. Give yourself extra time to get in and around the City that day. In addition, city officials have been coordinating with organizations that have scheduled eclipse-related events, and we will have a public safety presence at those events across Little Rock.
For our out-of-town guests, the Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau has been working closely with hotels, restaurants and businesses to make sure visitors receive the best hospitality and experiences. LRCVB's website features a list of eclipse-related activities across Little Rock, highlighted by a concert series at First Security Amphitheater featuring the Rodney Block Collective on Saturday, April 6, Ward Davis on April 7, and Pink Floyd cover band The Machine on the afternoon of the eclipse. The website is a clearinghouse for listings of the dozens of activations and events that weekend, from a parade in SoMa to Barkus on Main in the Creative Corridor.
The Little Rock Zoo has a full slate of activities and events on tap as well.
As an inclusive and equitable City, it's also important to make sure we provide opportunities for neighborhoods to come together in a spirit of community for this exciting event. So, I've asked our Parks and Recreation Department team to host watch parties at our community centers and other locations throughout the City. We plan to have eclipse-themed refreshments, crafts, viewing glasses and more at the watch parties. RSVP to attend at tinyurl.com/LREclipse and learn about plans leading up to the eclipse on the City's website.
As we get closer to April 8, you can learn more about all our programming and educational opportunities on the City of Little Rock social media accounts (Facebook, X, and Instagram).
Come join us as we celebrate the Total Eclipse of The Rock 2024, then be sure to mark your calendars for Aug. 12, 2045. That's when the next total solar eclipse rolls around, and Little Rock is the only large city in America in the path of totality for both eclipses!
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Another Successful Marathon Weekend
It's always a privilege to be at the starting line to cheer on the thousands of athletes participating in the Little Rock Marathon and Half-Marathon. Every year, I am impressed by the dedicated runners who challenge themselves to compete at their very best on a grueling race course, while recognizing this major event on our calendar every year could not happen without the efforts and time of our race officials, City employees and hundreds of volunteers.
At this year's marathon on Sunday, the races kicked off two hours earlier than usual because of forecasted warmer-than-normal temperatures. Race officials followed the recommendations of medical professionals and our emergency management team in order to protect the health and safety of marathon and half-marathon participants. For many runners having trained in cooler climates and others competing in a marathon for the very first time, the early start was a necessary option. I appreciate race officials for making safety the top priority.
This year's marathon, the 22nd annual, was sold out. Every race, including Saturday's 5K and 10K, were at capacity. Each year gets bigger and better, thanks to our race sponsors, leaders and the community.
Congratulations go out to Trevor Uyemura of Vienna, Virginia, the top male finisher in the marathon with a time of 2:42:59, and top female finisher Abigayle Money of Fayetteville with a time of 2:51:34.
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Van with a Plan
The Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau has always been a ready resource for travelers and convention-goers heading to the state's capital city, and now LRCVB has a tool to take its resources on the road.
Last week, we unveiled LRCVB's new mobile visitor center, a vehicle equipped with displays, visual items and more. LRCVB will take the van to locations regionally and across the country to highlight Little Rock's attractions and promote our city as a tourism destination. I joined LRCVB Executive Director Gina Gemberling and Advertising and Promotion Commission Chairman Jim Keet to announce the launch of the mobile visitors center. The van got its first use this past weekend at the Marathon's Health and Fitness Expo.
LRCVB plans to use the "engaging and visually captivating vehicle" to not only serve as an ambassador for our City, but also as a tool to gather visitor data that will help us craft marketing strategies for the future.
We're looking for a name for the new center, and residents are invited to submit their naming ideas. From now until March 28, you can visit LRCVB's website to provide your suggestion. The selected name will be announced in early April.
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The Week Ahead
- The Little Rock Board of Directors will meet Tuesday, March 5, at 6 p.m. at The Centre at University Park, 6401 W. 12th St. All board meetings are livestreamed on the City of Little Rock's Facebook and YouTube pages. Click here to view the agenda.
- Join us Wednesday, March 6, starting at 11 a.m. for a Business Expo. This event, at Mosaic Church, 6221 Colonel Glenn Road, offers an opportunity to meet with those involved in making purchasing decisions for the City of Little Rock, including the City's Procurement Team. The expo is from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., followed by two sessions on doing business with the city and on government contracting. For more details, and to sign up, go to tinyurl.com/CLRBusinessExpo24
- Little Rock's Historic District Commission will hold its regularly scheduled public hearing on Thursday, March 7, starting at 4 p.m. at the Willie L. Hinton Neighborhood Resource Center, 3805 W. 12th St.
- The City of Little Rock's Public Works Department will host a public meeting at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 7, to discuss improvements to Boyd Street and to drainage on 35th Street and Cherrywood Court, all in Ward 6. The meeting is at West Central Community Center, 8616 Colonel Glenn Road.
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As always, stay up to date with what's happening in the City on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram via @citylittlerock. You can also email me at mayorscott@littlerock.gov or call my office at 501.371.4744.
I appreciate you!
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