MEDINA, Ohio — With the total eclipse of the sun less than two weeks away, many cities are gearing up for watch parties, large crowds and a slew of events.
That includes Medina which is going big after it was named a Solar Eclipse Ambassador location by the Great Lakes Science Center.
The city, known for its shopping and welcoming people to the historic Square, is expecting a boom in visitors April 8.
"We are expecting, or we're told, that we'll have a huge influx of folks," said Barbara Dzur, who handles economic development and marketing for Medina.
The city is hosting a solar eclipse countdown watch party at the Medina Recreating Center from noon to 5 p.m.
Asked how many people she expects to attend the watch party, Dzur said, "I have no idea."
That uncertainty is creating both excitement and some anxiety, but Dzur said Medina is ready for the big day.
The city received a telescope and 1,000 pairs of certified solar eclipse glasses, which will be available at the watch party.
Several other eclipse-related events are happening the weekend before the eclipse in Medina, including a Path of Totality 5k on April 6, a bar crawl on April 7 and a scavenger hunt for kids on both days.
With a large number of people expected to converge on Medina County that day, Dzur is also offering some sound advice.
"We recommend that you do your grocery shopping on Saturday or Sunday, fill up your gas tank on Saturday or Sunday," she said.
Dana Klaus, owner of Alien Vacation Mini Golf, is hosting her own watch party. She hopes people who come out for the path of totality will stick around to putt and party.
"You come here and you have 18 holes of mini golf that you play. We have a DJ. There's gonna be photo ops for aliens," Klaus said.
Klaus feels confident that April 8 will be a day her customers and anyone else visiting Medina will be a day they'll never forget.
"To see this, this one-of-a-kind event that you can't see anywhere else, I think it's gonna be just amazing."
Candy creator by day. Amateur astronomer by night.
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