Four Seasons Hotel Austin Toasts to the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse with a “Celestial Celebration”

Four Seasons Hotel Austin invites guests and locals to experience, beyond a shadow of a doubt (and under the shadow of the moon), one of the rarest events - the 2024 Great American Total Solar Eclipse - with a “Celestial Celebration” picnic on April 8, 2024. Nature unveils one of its most awe-inspiring displays when the Moon completely covers the Sun, casting a shadow on Earth and turning day into night for a few precious moments.

Experiencing a total solar eclipse requires one to stand in the narrow path of the Moon’s shadow as it races across the surface of the Earth during these rare events. That path is called the “path of totality” and in 2024 it sweeps right through Austin, Texas. Visitors will travel across the nation to find themselves in this path where the Hotel is set to offer a premium viewing opportunity from the shores of Lady Bird Lake and in the heart of downtown Austin.

While guests can expect a full minute and forty seconds of the total solar eclipse (at approximately 1:30 pm CST), the Celestial Celebration will last all afternoon on the Hotel’s back lawn.

To guide guests through the critical phases of the total solar eclipse and provide an exploration of the history and science of eclipses, expert astrophysicist (and Resort Astronomer at Four Seasons Resort and Residences Jackson Hole) Ryan Hennessy will serve as the master of ceremonies for the event.

“The rarity of a total solar eclipse visible in the United States – we only have a few chances within our lifetime – makes this an experience that cannot be missed,” says Hennessy. “The incredible strangeness of a total eclipse is also difficult to exaggerate. Nothing in nature is quite like it. Shadows sharpen and the temperature drops. Only when the surface of the Sun is completely covered by the Moon do we plunge briefly into darkness, finally revealing the beautiful, otherworldly glow of the Sun’s outer atmosphere, the corona. It’s an event that is impossible to fully capture – it can only be experienced.”

Event highlights include:

• Gourmet spring BBQ picnic presented by award-winning Four Seasons Hotel Austin culinary team
• Family-friendly activities including interactive photobooth, tarot card readings, kid’s entertainment and more
• Live music performance to accompany the solar keynote
• Expert commentary and interactive astronomy education by astrophysicist Ryan Hennessy
• State-of-the-art Lunt Hydrogen-Alpha Solar Telescope available for a breathtaking peek at the Sun’s chromosphere including glimpses of sunspots, prominences, and solar flares
• Commemorative items such as custom solar-viewing safety glasses

“Total solar eclipses only happen in the same location, on average, about once every 330 years; so, for Austin locals and visitors, this is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Every day we aim to create unforgettable experiences for our guests; to celebrate this cosmic rarity from our Hotel is the epitome of just that,” explains Four Seasons Hotel Austin Regional Vice President and General Manager Beverly Magee.

The picnic and event entertainment will take place from 11:30 am CST to 2:00 pm CST. Tickets can be purchased via the Four Seasons Hotel Austin OpenTable page at a cost of USD 75 for adults and USD 30 for children 12 years old and younger.

For more information on accommodations and travel, guests can visit the Hotel’s website.