Area businesses hope to cash in on Monday eclipse

Geographer Michael Zeiler, who tracks solar eclipses worldwide and provides detailed statistics and predictions via his website Great American Eclipse, estimates that around 7.3 million Ohio residents live inside the path of totality.

Zeiler estimates Ohio will see anywhere from 139,000 to 556,000 visitors to the state for Monday’s event.

This influx is likely to impact Ohio’s economy in big ways, with visitors spending on eclipse-related events and merchandise, and purchasing things like gas, food, and lodging throughout the weekend.

Though it’s hard to predict the exact economic impact this year’s total solar eclipse will have on Ohio, data from other states impacted by a 2017 eclipse provides some context.

In 2017, a roughly 67-mile-wide band of the state of Wyoming experienced a total solar eclipse. According to an economic impact study completed by the state’s office of tourism following the event, around 196,000 visitors flocked to the state to catch a glimpse.

The study estimates visitors alone spent around $59.8 million in the state of Wyoming on things like transportation, recreation/entertainment, shopping, lodging, and food and beverages. Wyoming residents traveling within the state to view the eclipse spent about $3.6 million in related expenses.

These figures do not include money spent by non-traveling residents who made eclipse-related purchases.

A much bigger impact could be expected in Ohio if Ziegler’s high visitor volume estimate proves accurate.

Given that this phenomena hasn’t occurred in Ohio in more than two centuries — and isn’t expected to occur again in Ohio until 2099 — cities and businesses throughout the state are preparing to set records in more ways than one.

Full hotels, themed beers and merch

Miami County Visitors Bureau Director Leiann Stewart said all hotels within Miami County are booked through the weekend, which gives officials a good idea of what to expect, but she noted that some “eclipse chasers” will choose to visit on Monday and leave immediately after the event.

“It’s safe to say we could see many thousands of visitors in Miami County on April 8,” said Miami County EMA Director Joel Smith.

The weekend offers a great opportunity for local businesses, Stewart said, and many will cash in through the sale of special eclipse merchandise in shops and eclipse-themed drinks or dishes in restaurants.

Crooked Handle Brewing Co. in Piqua, Branch & Bone Artisan Ales in Dayton, Full Circle Brewgarden in Englewood, Moeller Brew Barn in Troy, and Municipal Brew Works in Hamilton have all announced eclipse-themed brews and drinks for the occasion.

Clash Gallery & Boutique, at 521 E. Fifth St. in the Oregon District, is selling moonglow eclipse necklaces, and just down the street at 601 E. Fifth St., Heart Mercantile’s graphic designer created an eclipse t-shirt and stickers for purchase in-store and online at www.heartmercantile.com.

‘We love to throw a party’

Visitors bureaus in both Darke and Miami counties are also selling apparel and mementos with their own eclipse-themed designs, proceeds of which will go toward each bureau’s events, initiatives, and grants.

Heart co-owner Kait Gilcher said she and her staff feel prepared to welcome the significant surge of visitors to their shop and the Oregon District.

“We are excited,” she said, noting that the store will be open for its regular hours throughout the weekend, as well as Monday, despite closing for around 30 minutes that day to view the eclipse themselves.

Gilcher added that the Oregon District will be closed to vehicular traffic on Monday — normally it’s just the weekends — allowing for the anticipated increase in foot traffic that day.

“We wanted to create an area that folks can come hang out in, grab a DORA drink, shop around, bring a lawn chair and post up for the day,” she said. “We put out picnic tables when the street is closed, so there’s places to eat lunch and relax.

“We love to throw a party, so we want to make this a great one,” she said.

Influx to rural areas

Darke County falls in the centerline totality area.

“We started planning for this over a year ago,” said Darke County Visitors Bureau Director Greg Billing. “We started having (monthly) meetings that the county (Emergency Management Agency) put together with the sheriff, Darke County schools superintendent, Wayne HealthCare, and other community members.”

These meetings mainly focused on logistics associated with sharp increases in visitors, Billing said, which can have an effect on traffic, cellular and internet services, business supply stock, and even gas availability.

A day of racing at Darke County’s Eldora Speedway can gather a total of 50,000 people, Billing said, but many of these are residents of Darke or nearby counties.

The solar eclipse weekend is markedly different, he noted, as visitors will likely flock to areas throughout the county as opposed to one location.

Either way, the county is still not sure how many visiting eclipse-watchers to expect, an uncertainty that’s shared by most city and agency officials throughout the region.

“It’s so hard to say, and I wish people could RSVP to this event so that we’d know what’s coming, but that’s not the case,” he said.

Still, county officials can get an idea based on the fact that the majority of rooms in the county’s four major hotels are nearly booked solid throughout the weekend, Billing noted.

In addition to hotel lodging, the Darke County Fairgrounds will host around 600 camping units on site.

Billing noted that the next quarterly lodging tax check, set to be received by the county this summer, will provide a more tangible piece of the full economic impact for Darke County.