DYESS, Ark. (KAIT) – The city of Dyess is preparing to host a weekend festival full of unique science and rich history ahead of the April solar eclipse.

The 2024 Solar Eclipse Festival will be held from Saturday, April 6 to Monday, April 8.

The weekend-long event will feature a cycling tour, a musical festival, and a tour of the Johnny Cash Boyhood Home. The festival is hosted by Arkansas State Heritage Sites.

Assistant Director Penny Toombs said the Arkansas Roots Ride will kick off the event on Saturday, April 6.

“You’ll start at the Johnny Cash Boyhood Home, ride to the Southern Tenant Farmers Museum in Tyronza, and then come back,” she said.

Toombs said the Roots Ride begins at 8 a.m. She said the Arkansas Roots Music Festival begins at noon the same day.

An Eclipse Lunch and Learn with NASA Scientist Dr. Les Johnson will be held on Sunday, April 7 at noon.

Toombs said a tailgating area will be set up at the Boyhood Home on the day of the solar eclipse on Monday, April 8. She explained people can use it as a base when traveling to nearby towns to see the total eclipse.

“It’s a chance to see the Johnny Cash Boyhood Home and just lead up to Monday,” Toombs said. “We are at 99.38%, not 100%.”

For more information on the festival, click here.

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