LORAIN, Ohio — As Northeast Ohio braces for what’s been called a once-in-a-lifetime event, a Lorain business hopes to make the total solar eclipse a permanent memory.
“You’re never going to forget it when you come here,” said Rachel Grasso, the owner of INKspired Studios in downtown Lorain.
The tattoo shop is hosting a two-week flash sale featuring several dozen eclipse-themed designs.
“I think it’s because it’s the eclipse. It hasn’t happened in so long and it’s such a big thing for our city,” said Myra Kovacs, a Lorain massage therapist. “I’ll have this forever.”
Grasso was tattooing a celestial design on Kovacs Wednesday. Both women said their interest in the sky predates the hype ahead of the April 8 eclipse.
“I love [everything] about the eclipse, the moon, the stars. So yeah it’s all that good stuff,” said Kovacs.
“I used to work in the medical field. Being in labor and delivery and seeing the way the moon affects the human body, it’s always made me interested in the fact that something so far away can actually control what happens on earth,” said Grasso.
Lorain County sits on the centerline of totality, which means it will experience the longest period of total darkness. The shop owner said the upcoming eclipse has created excitement in the city unlike anything she’s experienced.
“I feel like the celestial event has brought a sense of community around because we all have a common goal,” she said. “It’s something positive that we can all experience together as one human race.”
Grasso had a spread of specially designed eclipse cakes and cupcakes from Lorain-based Fligner’s Market. She also said her neighboring downtown businesses were looking forward to showcasing the city to the expected surge of visitors.
“A lot of us just wanted to be a part of the event. And I don’t think a lot of us thought about how much revenue it would bring downtown and how a lot of people looked at our businesses that weren’t looking here before just because they were looking for eclipse events,” she said.
With the two-week flash sale, she’s hoping to catch both locals and visitors inspired by the eclipse.
“I figure we’ll be busy this weekend when everyone’s here and then maybe right afterwards people will be like, ‘Yo that was really cool. Let me go get something to remember it now,’” she said.
Customers receiving eclipse tattoos Wednesday said the permanent ink was a fun souvenir for the event.
“When my kids are older, I’ll be like, ‘I was there,’” said Becky Jody.
“Wow, what a memory,” Kovacs said, admiring her finished tattoo.
“50 years from now you’ll be in the nursing home, someone will be changing you and they’ll be like, ‘What’s that tattoo mean?’ And you’ll be like, ‘Oh back in 2024 - the great eclipse,’” laughed Grasso.
INKspired Studios will be closed on April 8, but the flash sale will last through April 15. You can find a growing list of eclipse events around Northeast Ohio by clicking here.
