Looking for a great place to watch the total solar eclipse on Monday, April 8? With many family-friendly events planned, Oswego County is your destination for this unique occurrence!

Enjoy eclipse excitement leading up to the big day by checking out Small Business Saturday in the city of Oswego on April 6. All day, local businesses will offer discounts or have exclusive eclipse specials on their menus.

Check out the interesting history of the Fort Ontario State Historic Site at 1 E. Fourth St., Oswego as well! The fort will be open with free admission on Saturday and Sunday, April 6 and 7, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. A limited supply of free eclipse glasses will be given out, and snacks, shirts and souvenirs will be available for purchase. On Monday, April 8, the grounds outside the old stone fort will be open for visitors to walk around or bring their lawn chairs or blankets to view the big event! Visitors should note that the fort itself will be closed and parking will not be available. For details, call Fort Ontario at 315-343-4711 or find it on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/FortOntario.

Join the city of Oswego on Sunday, April 7 from 4 to 9 p.m. on West First Street for the Solar Eclipse Block Party! The event features food, fun and live music by the Jess Novak Band from 6 to 9 p.m. Eclipse glasses will be distributed while supplies last. On eclipse day, the city of Oswego will also offer a viewing area from noon to 5 p.m. at Breitbeck Park on Lake Street. For details on eclipse events in the Port City, go to https://www.oswegony.org/solar-eclipse.

The Fulton Special Events Committee and the Fulton City School District partner to host “Total Eclipse of the Park” on Monday, April 8 from noon to 4:30 p.m. Attendees can enjoy Epic Events inflatables, food trucks and performances by Twin Towers DJ and the choir and jazz band from G. Ray Bodley High School. Eclipse glasses will be distributed while supplies last. The event takes place at the Fulton War Memorial and Pop Warner Field, 609 W. Broadway. For more information on the event, find the Special Events Committee on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SpecialEventsFultonNY.

On Monday, April 8, SUNY Oswego, 7060 NYS Rte. 104, hosts an eclipse experience at Rice Creek Observatory, science outreach demonstrations and more! Students will conduct a Nationwide Eclipse Ballooning Project, launching weather balloons every hour from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. to collect rare information about the atmosphere during the eclipse. For details about SUNY Oswego’s eclipse plans, visit https://ww1.oswego.edu/total-solar-eclipse.

Join Selkirk Shores State Park, 7101 NYS Rte. 3, Pulaski, for its viewing event on Monday, April 8. Starting at noon, free eclipse glasses will be available while supplies last. Other activities include an Earth Base II Observatory presentation, hand-outs, games and more. Attendees can purchase celestial goods from Sprinkle Spot Bakery or grab lunch or snacks from the Roberts Family food truck. Fun eclipse souvenirs will also be available for purchase. For more information about the event, find Selkirk Shores State Park on Facebook at  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100076166687731.

Petals in Bloom and Lewis Manor Labradoodles also host an event on Monday, April 8! Experience eclipse views from a high elevation while enjoying food from Jojo’s Empanadas food truck, a nine-hole disc golf course, puppies, playgrounds for kids and more. The event runs from 2 to 4:30 p.m. at Petals in Bloom Farm, 113 Harry Bryant Rd., Williamstown. For details, find Petals in Bloom on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/petalsinbloomny.

Bring the family to the Hannibal Free Library’s Total Eclipse Party on Monday, April 8 from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Activities include projects for adults and kids, eclipse question and answer, refreshments and more. Eclipse glasses will be distributed while supplies last. The library is located at 162 Oswego St. For more information, go to https://hannibalfreelibrary.org/.

Looking for places to stay in Oswego County? Many accommodations are offering special packages for the eclipse! Pick from a variety of charming hotels with unique amenities and superb hospitality. Some accommodations require a three-night minimum stay over the eclipse weekend, and visitors may have to call the hotel directly to make their reservation. To view a list of accommodations in Oswego County, go to https://visitoswegocounty.com/.

Visitors can also camp at Oswego Speedway, 300 E. Albany St., from Thursday, April 4 to Tuesday, April 9. Unique features of the speedway’s eclipse camping experience include prime camping spots with unobstructed views of the eclipse along with power, water and sewer hookup, facilities and on-site showers. For more information, visit https://www.oswegospeedway.com/press/article/146576.

On Monday, April 8, the total eclipse will be viewable throughout Oswego County, with start and end times varying slightly by location. Generally, it begins shortly after 2 p.m. locally, with totality starting and ending shortly before 3:30 p.m. Following totality, the eclipse continues as the moon moves across the sun, before concluding shortly after 4:30 p.m.

Eclipse visitors need to be sure they have safe eyewear to avoid serious eye or vision injury. Eclipse glasses or a hand-held solar viewer must be used to view the eclipse before and after totality. Only special purpose solar filters that comply with the ISO 12312-2 international standard allow people to safely look directly at the sun.

Some events, schools and libraries will distribute free eclipse glasses while supplies last. Fulton, Hannibal, Mexico and Oswego public libraries will have limited supplies of glasses available, and Wegman’s and other retailers will have eclipse glasses for sale.

The Sterling Nature Center will sell eclipse glasses at Ontario Orchards, 7735 NYS Rte. 104, Oswego on Sunday, March 10 and Saturday, March 16. For details, find Ontario Orchards on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/OntarioOrchardsOswegoNY.

It’s important to check that eclipse glasses are marked with the ISO 12312-2 international standard to ensure eye safety. For details about safer solar filters and viewers, visit the American Astronomical Society’s eclipse website at https://eclipse.aas.org/resources/solar-filters.

Any businesses, organizations and individuals planning to open their doors or spaces to others during the eclipse should contact the Oswego County Health Department’s Environmental Division to ensure they’re following all public health regulations. For more information, call 315-349-3557.

Oswego County Tourism will continue to promote eclipse events as they are announced. To submit an event, email tourism@oswegocounty.com with the details.

For more eclipse information, go to https://visitoswegocounty.com/eclipse/.