News Release

Riverways will host partial eclipse viewing and cultural skills demonstrations

Demonstration of a moonshine still near Alley Mill.

NPS Photo

News Release Date: October 4, 2023

Contact: Dena Matteson, [phone]

EMINENCE, Mo - Usher in the fall season with this “astronomical” cultural event! Ozark National Scenic Riverways is hosting the “Alley-clipse” and Cultural Skills Demonstrations on October 14, from 10 am to 4 pm.  

Witness a partial eclipse during the day’s festivities! The park will provide eclipse glasses free of charge. The partial eclipse begins at 10:30 am and peaks at 12:00 pm (noon), eventually ending around 1:30 pm. Bring a lawn chair for the show in the sky!  

As the partial eclipse passes overhead, demonstrators will show off skills of yesteryear. Cultural demonstrations include blacksmithing, moonshining, chair caning, lye soap making, broom making, and candle making. Visitors can try their hand at candle dipping (while supplies last), rope making, corn shelling and grinding, and walking on old-fashioned stilts.  

These presentations serve as a window into past Ozark lifestyles. Due to the rugged landscape and long distance from cities, settlers had to make many goods themselves. Self-sustainability was crucial to survival. As you visit Alley Spring, think about innovations that made frontier life possible, such as the water-powered mill.  

You can step back in time at Alley Mill, Alley General Store, and Storys Creek School, which will all be open for visitors. Alley Spring grounds will be decorated in the traditional fall festive spirit, with pumpkins, scarecrows, mums, and corn stalks. A perfect backdrop for fall photography!  

While no food vendors will be available at Alley Spring, nearby Eminence will have plenty of options for you to enjoy during the 55th Annual Scenic Riverways Arts and Crafts Show. Spend the day in the Eminence area for a variety of fall activities, good food, and a partial eclipse! 

This event is free and open to the public. Support for this event and for the festive decorations has been provided by the park’s official Friends Group, the Ozark Riverways Foundation. Alley Spring is located five miles west of Eminence, Missouri, on State Highway 106. For more information, call [phone], or visit the park’s website at www.nps.gov/ozar.   

Ozark National Scenic Riverways preserves 134 miles of the free-flowing Current and Jacks Fork rivers, the surrounding resources, and the unique cultural heritage of the Ozark people.  Learn more at www.nps.gov/ozar.  Find us on Facebook @ozarkriverways and on Instagram @ozarkriverwaysnps.

About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 424 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.