Ohio
Thousands of visitors expected in Ohio for solar eclipse. How will it impact the economy?
Ohio is a hot ticket for the April 8 solar eclipse, with the state expected to attract anywhere from 139,000 to 556,000 visitors inside the line of totality, according to estimates from the website GreatAmericanEclipse.com.
As people arrive, there will be significant demand for lodging, food and entertainment.
“It’s a big event. There’s nothing bigger really,” said Brent Sohngen, professor of agricultural, environmental, and development economics at Ohio State University. “I don’t think you can overemphasize that.”
Hotels are already filling up with reservations, and businesses are looking to take advantage. Cedar Point is even opening up early for one day only to observe the eclipse.
Those visiting the Buckeye State are in addition to the 7,275,000 people who live within the path of totality in Ohio.
“We are doing some tracking on this with hotels that are in the path of the eclipse and there definitely is increased demand, especially along the center line and in areas of bigger population,” said Joe Savarise, president and CEO of the Ohio Hotel & Lodging Association.
Ohio hotels are booking up fast for April’s solar eclipse
In Stark County, over 70% of hotel rooms tracked by Visit Canton are booked for the eclipse. Meanwhile, visitors bureaus in Summit and Cuyahoga County said hotels are experiencing high demand, particularly for the night before the eclipse.
Savarise said there are 700 hotels in the state that are within the path of totality in Ohio. An additional 731 hotels are in areas of the partial solar eclipse. There are also a number of campgrounds and other rentals such as Airbnbs and VRBOs.
“What we encourage people to do is No. 1, search for and book your room as quickly as you can because every day availability gets tighter and tighter,” he said. “Also, there definitely are some parts of the state where there is higher demand right now, but not far away from there, still in really good viewing areas, there might be more availability in towns along the path.”
The Ohio Hotel & Lodging Association has been preparing for the eclipse since before 2023. Savarise said the event is an economic opportunity.
What’s the economic impact of the eclipse on Ohio?
In an email, a spokesperson for the Ohio Department of Development said the average visitor to Ohio spends $174 per visit. Considering visitation estimates from GreatAmericanEclipse.com, this could mean an economic boost of anywhere from $24 million to almost $100 million statewide.
“I don’t think that’s a stretch at all. People will be coming in, staying overnight, taking advantage of local attractions, restaurants, buying gas, shopping while they’re here, it’s just exponential,” Savarise said.
If Ohio follows the trend of states impacted by the 2017 total eclipse, the impact could actually gross in the low billions, Sohngen said.
After the 2017 total solar eclipse, the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism estimated the state brought in $269 million in economic impact, about 0.1% of the state’s gross domestic product.
If Ohio were to have the same 0.1% impact, it would amount to $822 million, but Sohngen said it could be even more.
“[In 2017,] some states in the South had it up to 0.25% of total GDP,” he said. “You would expect a lot of people from Pennsylvania, Illinois, etc., to come over here, so my guess is $1 to $2 billion range potentially.”
A total solar eclipse hasn’t occurred in Ohio in over 200 years, and factors like weather could change the outcome.
Barrel Room owner Keri Sullivan: ‘It’s a really big deal’
Many businesses in Northeast Ohio are planning for eclipse visitors by having events or selling limited edition products.
The Barrel Room on Canal, a restaurant in Canal Fulton, will be opening on an off day to host a solar eclipse watch party.
“We’re usually closed on Mondays but we’re opening up because it’s said that we’re going to have one of the best views,” owner Keri Sullivan said.
The restaurant will be open 2 to 9 p.m. and will offer eclipse-themed cocktail and food specials.
“We’re trying to cash in on something pretty cool that isn’t going to happen again anytime soon,” Sullivan said.
She said the event has generated decent interest on Facebook, but she isn’t sure what to expect yet.
“This is kind of unprecedented territory for us,” Sullivan said.
Rubber City Clothing creates special eclipse T-shirt
For Kevin Friend, owner of Rubber City Clothing Co. in Akron, making and selling an eclipse design for T-shirts, hoodies and bags was a no-brainer.
“We had been talking about it and a lady came in and asked if we had a design. That was good enough for me to decide that we should take advantage of this,” he said. “Summit County is doing all kinds of stuff around it, the schools are closed, it’s a really big deal.”
School’s out: Canton City Schools cancels classes, activities for solar eclipse
The design, created by Joëlle Zellman, features a sun and moon over the Akron skyline with the date of the eclipse. The graphic is glow-in-the-dark.
Friend said the eclipse design has been a hit so far and became the bestseller for several weeks.
“It’s an interesting opportunity and a once-in-a-lifetime thing,” he said. “I’m glad we can memorialize it and put designs on stuff that people can keep as souvenirs or wear on shirts.”
Gervasi Vineyard hosting solar eclipse party
Gervasi Vineyard in Canton is hoping to attract visitors with its See + Sip The Solar Eclipse event.
It will be held at the vineyard’s Still House and will feature a signature cocktail, eclipse glasses and live music.
Director of Marketing Andrea Hartman said even though the vineyard is located outside of the path of totality in Canton, it still expects a full turnout for the event.
“From the local audience, we were only able to release a certain amount of tickets because we wanted to make sure we held back enough for our hotel guests,” she said. “The public tickets we have offered are already sold out, our hotel rooms are very close to that, as well.”
The event has a capacity of 125 people, but the vineyard is considering raising it to 150 to accommodate high demand.
“People are looking for something different to do,” Hartman said. “A different wine pairing, a different experience, something fun to do.”
Reach Grace at 330-580-8364 or gspringer@gannett.com. Follow her on X @GraceSpringer16.
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) — Part of Glenwood Avenue is closed due to a water main break in Youngstown.
Saturday afternoon, water could be seen flowing down Glenwood Avenue near Ravenwood Avenue.
The road is closed between Ravenwood Avenue and Clearmount Drive while crews repair the break.
Dominic O’Brien contributed to this report.
The U.S. Bicentennial in 1976 was a monumental, year-long celebration marking the 200th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Coming in the aftermath of the turbulent 1960s, the political disillusionment of the Watergate scandal and President Richard Nixon’s resignation in 1974, and the capture of Saigon by the North Vietnamese and the end of the Vietnam War in 1975, the Bicentennial served as a crucial moment of national healing.
The festivities culminated on the Fourth of July 1976, with spectacular events staged across the country. The most enduring legacy of the celebration in Columbus is Bicentennial Park, located in the Downtown riverfront area along the Scioto River.
Dedicated on July 4, 1976, this 4.7-acre green space was built to permanently commemorate the nation’s 200th birthday. The park’s initial centerpiece was a massive fountain system featuring four circular pools that could shoot water 60 feet into the air.
From May 22 to June 2, 1975, Columbus served as the 11th official stop for the American Freedom Train. This massive, steam-powered rolling museum carried more than 500 priceless historical artifacts – including copies of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution – across all 48 contiguous states.
The train was displayed at the Defense Construction Supply Center [DCSC] in Whitehall and drew massive crowds of local families. Columbus held a special distinction during the tour: it was one of only three cities nationwide where the “Splendid Spirit” car was included with the train.
Warren Motts, the founding director of Motts Military Museum in Groveport, traveled with the train for its entire 25,000-mile journey, capturing the official photos that documented this historic event.
Beyond these massive metropolitan events, the true spirit of the Bicentennial thrived at the grassroots level. The American Revolution Bicentennial Administration (ARBA) encouraged local communities to form their own committees, leading to thousands of unique municipal projects.
Towns across the nation hosted local parades, commissioned historical murals, dedicated new parks, and sealed time capsules intended for the tricentennial in 2076.
It also triggered a resurgence of interest in local history and genealogy, as everyday citizens sought to trace their own roots back to the nation’s founding eras.
The civic energy and patriotism generated by the 1976 celebrations also helped pave the way for other major local traditions. Just a few years later, in 1981, Columbus launched its annual Red, White & Boom! celebration, which grew into the largest Independence Day fireworks display in the Midwest—a tradition deeply rooted in the community pride revived during the Bicentennial era.
Get involved in America 250 at your library this year! Visit columbulibrary.org for a full list of America 250 events.
Angela O’Neal is Local History & Genealogy Manager with the Columbus Metropolitan Library.
NORTHEAST OHIO (WOIO) – Thousands are without power Friday after severe weather sweeps across Northeast Ohio counties, creating weather-related damage.
FirstEnergy reports more than 71,000 in Northeast Ohio are without power Friday night.
More than 22,000 are without power in Cuyahoga County.
The utility company reports that more than 700 are without power in Erie County.
Lake County reports over 1,000 outages, and Portage has over 4,000 outages.
Trumbull County is experiencing over 1,000, and Ashtabula reports over 3,000.
Lorain County is experiencing more than 3,000 reported outages, and Geauga County has more than 7,000.
Medina County reported more than 1,000.
Chardon fire crews field wave of storm calls
The Chardon Fire Department shared the calls it responded to concerning storm damage Friday evening.
Fire crews said they responded to a tree in a house at 127 Burlington Oval.
The department said a tree fell on a gas line, causing a gas leak at 408 Charleston Avenue.
Wires were reported down on South Claridon Road, closing State Route 44 near South Street.
Wires were reported down on a house near Irma and South Hambden.
Fire crews said a tree was reported down on a home at 306 North Hambden.
The department also said alarms went off at UH Geauga Hospital.
Downed wires also closed Auburn and Twing roads.
The department said power was out on the south side of Chardon City.
Another tree was reported to have fallen into a house at 109 Burlington Oval, but no injuries were reported.
Fire crews said an incident involving a tree in a house and electric lines was reported at 11396 Aquilla Road, but no injuries were reported.
Fallen tree takes out power line in Independence
The city of Independence said a downed tree took out a live power line on lower Stone Road.
The city asked the public to avoid the area because of the danger posed by live wires.
The city said FirstEnergy had been notified and both police and firefighters were on scene.
Downed wires prompt closures across Hambden
The Hambden Fire Department said Friday night it was dealing with multiple storm-related incidents.
Crews said Claridon Troy Road was closed between Route 608 and Chardon Windsor Road because of downed poles and wires.
Kenny Drive was closed south of Leaders Mobile Home Park because of downed wires across the road, according to fire crews.
Multiple wires were reported down on Route 6 near Cutts and Grant Street along the north side of the road.
The department said the public should use caution in areas with downed wires and poles and should not attempt to move any of the wires.
Anyone with an electrical emergency or who encounters downed wires is asked to call 9-1-1.
Hambden Fire said people should not call 9-1-1 to report an outage.
The department said FirstEnergy is aware of these issues and is working to fix them.
Check FirstEnergy’s, AEP’s, and Cleveland Public Power’s websites for the latest outage numbers.
These outages come after severe thunderstorm warnings were issued for multiple Northeast Ohio counties this evening and were extended until 10:45 p.m.
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