On April 8, Spencer Pride hosted a full day of programming in celebration of the Total Solar Eclipse. The south-central Indiana-based organization was directly in the path of totality.
From photography and history lessons to an eclipse-themed drag show, the rural organization hosted hundreds of out-of-town guests for the occasion. A special raffle featured an eclipse-themed quilt and brought in record proceeds in support of Spencer Pride’s mission to improve the quality of life for the local, rural LGBTQ+ community. The eclipse was broadcast live indoors using a Nutonian reflecting telescope, while a solar sonification device provided an auditory experience for those experiencing blindness or low vision.
Spencer Pride also unveiled Owen County’s first-ever penny press to promote local attractions to tourists. The 5 designs feature: Spencer Pride’s own commUnity center, the Owen County Courthouse, McCormick’s Creek State Park’s fire tower, the “Doughboy” statue, and the historic Tivoli Theatre.
The festivities were recorded by two video crews filming a documentary and eclipse promotional video. Spencer Pride’s eclipse programming was supported by the Simons Foundation and the IU Center for Rural Engagement and was coordinated in partnership the Owen County Chamber of Commerce and Spencer Main Street for a community-wide event.
To top off Spencer Pride’s efforts (literally), local pride organizers painted a 50-foot wide rainbow flag on the roof of the Spencer Pride commUnity center. The entire event was “totality” amazing and exceeded Spencer Pride’s expectations.
“We experienced a huge increase in the number of visitors and retail sales for 4 days,” said Jacob Balash, commUnity center Director and one of two Spencer Pride leaders coordinating their programming.
Partnering with fellow volunteer Ben Ale-Ebrahim, Balash had been planning eclipse festivities for the past 9 months.
“It was amazing to welcome so many people into our community. We hope that they enjoyed their eclipse experience and saw our rural community in a new light as well,” Balash said.