On April 8th, 2024 we attended the Full Solar Eclipse Festival in Dunkirk, New York. We had a fantastic time! There was great food, drinks, activities, a live band, a DJ, cornhole and all kinds of other things to do. Dunkirk really knows how to throw a party!
The Solar Eclipse Festival was hosted on the Dunkirk Pier and Boardwalk. It attracted thousands of people. We met visitors that day from 7 different states! All of the hotels and motels in the area were booked out! Luckily for us, we planned ahead and made our reservations 7 months in advance.
Dunkirk is a historic small city that sits along the shoreline of Lake Erie in southwestern New York. When driving through the downtown area you do see a lot of old, historic-looking buildings. We took 2 days to do a little sightseeing and visited the Dunkirk Lighthouse, the Pier, the Marketplace, Boardwalk and a local park. I wish we had spent more time investigating what the area had to offer.
When visiting you’ll find a lot of chain-style restaurants and mom & pop owned eateries. There are plenty of different places to shop if that’s your thing. Fishing and being out on the Lake Erie water is a BIG tourist attraction to the area. I think the city is doing a great job at attracting tourists but they do need to add a few more family-friendly attractions to make it a great destination.
The Full Solar Eclipse Festival got into swing around lunchtime on April 8th, 2024 and continued after-dark. Throughout the day the crowds got bigger. Most of the day we had cloudy skies (no rain) but a few minutes before Totality the skies opened up and we got to see Totality and the Eclipse. It was one of the coolest things EVER! During Totality the temperatures dropped about 10-15 degrees. The birds got quiet and the crowd cheered loudly.
The paved boardwalk runs along the shoreline of Lake Erie and the small boat harbor. The fishing boats can dock along the Pier. It’s handicap accessible which is nice. We found public restrooms in 2 different places…a separate building up by the pier and a small restroom is located in the middle of the Market Shops (in that building). The Clarion Hotel sits along the paved boardwalk and waterfront if you’re looking for waterfront accommodations.
My wife and I had a fantastic time during our 3-day road trip! It was one of the most memorable experiences EVER. We hope to plan another road trip (soon) up to the area so we can explore it even further. If you’re looking for something new to do…we recommend a little weekend getaway trip to Dunkirk in New York.
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