The excitement is ramping up for the upcoming total solar eclipse, which happens Monday. For this area, the peak of the eclipse will be at 2:41 p.m. Here's a list of local watch parties.
Appomattox
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The Appomattox Court House National Historic Park will host a watch party from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Park staff will be at the flagpole in the parking area during the eclipse to hand out glasses and offer information.
Blacksburg
The Virginia Tech Alumni Association is hosting a watch party from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on the Holtzman Alumni Center Lawn. It's free and open to the public, and there will be pizza available. They are handing out eclipse glasses.
Danville
From 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., the Danville Science Center, in partnership with the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research, will host a solar eclipse viewing party. It will be a free event, though a visit to the museum's exhibits or the Digital Dome - where related movies will be playing - will cost the regular price. About 240 pairs of eclipse glasses, safety binoculars and telescopes will be available.
Lynchburg
The City of Lynchburg is hosting a watch party at Riverfront Park from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. The first 200 people who come will get free eclipse glasses. There will be "celestial snacks" (Sun Chips and Mini Moon Pies) and water available, but guests are encouraged to bring their own chairs and blankets.
Radford
Radford University will host a community event to celebrate the eclipse. The event is from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the RU Center for the Sciences - Planetarium, with the eclipse happening 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. They will have free eclipse glasses and you will be able to look through a specially filtered telescope. You can live stream chat with solar researchers and watch eclipse-themed planetarium shows throughout the day. There will be children's activities as well.
Roanoke
The Roanoke Valley Astronomical Society, in partnership with the Science Museum of Western Virginia, is hosting an event at Market Square in Downtown Roanoke. You can look through their specially filtered telescopes to view the eclipse. They will also have some eclipse glasses available, and several RVAS members will be there to answer questions. This event is free and starts at 1 p.m., and lasts through the duration of the eclipse, which ends right around 4 p.m.
Hollins University is hosting a viewing party for students, faculty and staff from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. That's happening at the plein air deck at the Richard Wetherill Visual Arts Center. There will be eclipse glasses and light refreshments. This event is not open to the general public.
Wytheville
Wytheville Community College is planning a viewing event for students, faculty and staff from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. It will be at the Johnson Lobby patio, the Crossroads Institute in the Atrium and the Summit Center on the lawn. There will be projection viewers at each location, but you will have to bring your own eclipse glasses. This event is not open to the general public.
Everywhere
Here is a list of libraries hosting eclipse watch events.
Do you know of any other eclipse watch parties? Email us at news@wsls.com and we will add them to the list.