TOLEDO, Ohio — The last time the United States saw a total solar eclipse was 2017, and the last time northwest Ohio saw one was 1806, a whopping 218 years ago. It's something most can only see once or twice in a lifetime and businesses in Toledo are looking to capitalize on the opportunity.
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"With all the hype that's going on, we hope that all the local small businesses are able to benefit from it," said Steve Lark, owner of Printed on a Lark, a screen-printing business in south Toledo.
For example, Printed on a Lark started making t-shirts to sell to the tourists who want to remember the day.
"We're coming up with this design. We started thinking about it in January," Lark said. "We know it's a big thing coming into Toledo. We know that there's a lot of people coming to see the eclipse. Everybody wants to leave with something from the event."
Jupmode, a clothing store in downtown Toledo that specializes in Midwestern and Glass City-themed merchandise, will also be selling eclipse-related goods. According to their website, a total solar eclipse 2024 t-shirt is currently available.
There's a precedent for people making big money during these kinds of events. During the last total solar eclipse, also known as the "Great American Eclipse" of 2017, small towns saw huge financial benefits. Hopkinsville, Kentucky, a city with a population a little over 30,000, hosted tourists from 46 states and 19 nations.
Some businesses in town, like the Imagination Station, not only want to help commemorate the eclipse, but they also want to help people experience it by inviting the public to their property for a front row seat of the view.
"They're starting to buy tickets for that day already," said Amy Hering, COO of the Imagination Station. "Just getting that excitement generated in the city has been fun. In the science world, this is the Super Bowl of Science. The eclipse is a great opportunity to for us to educate the community what's happening. It truly is a once in a lifetime experience."
Imagination Station also plans to sell eclipse-related merchandise ahead of the event.
Officials with Ohio's EMA tell WTOL 11 they expect Lucas County's population to at least double during this event, surely making for an impactful time for Toledo's local businesses.
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