SAVE THE DATE!

Where: Cedarville, CA 

When: August 19th and August 20th

Join Friends of Nevada Wilderness, the BLM Applegate District, Modoc County Outdoor Recreation and Tourism, and the Astronomical Society of Nevada, for a family-friendly weekend filled with fun activities and unbelievable stargazing! We are looking forward to bringing the Dark Sky Festival back this year and you can count on enjoyable and educational dark sky activities on Friday evening and Saturday afternoon, all leading up to a star party on Saturday night. 

August 19th

4:00pm - Channel your inner Bob Ross for a dark sky painting class led by the talented Jen Rovanpera with the Applegate District BLM. We will meet in the garden at the Country Hearth where you can sip on a beverage of your choice, snack on some appetizers, and enjoy the beautiful ambiance that Cedarville has to offer. Remember, there are no mistakes, only happy accidents!

7:30pm - Stick around after dinner at the Country Hearth and grab a couple of friends for this year's dark sky trivia! Teams can be anywhere from 1-6 people, and prizes will be out of this world.

August 20th

10am to 1pm - This year we will be hosting a dark sky science fair, so bring the whole family and a healthy amount of curiousity. Come take a look through an 'H-Alpha' Telescope which allows you to safely view the surface of the sun, and at 11:30am, Astronomical Society of Nevada President Jim Faheywill be giving a talk titled 'Our Magnetic Sun'. The science fair will be held in the garden at the Country Hearth (if you haven't been there, it's really lovely!) and there will be a variety of information and acitivities for all ages and abilities. 

8:30pm - This is the event you've been waiting for! A dark sky star party showcasing the truly spectacular starry skies in the Surprise Valley / Massacre Rim region. From 8:30pm-midnight at the Surprise Valley High School, we will host a star party to take advantage of the amazing stargazing opportunities in that part of the world. Members from the Astronomical Society of Nevada will have a variety of telescopes set up for night sky viewing, and we encourage you to bring binoculars, telescopes, star guides, and night sky apps for a fun, engaging, and awe-inspiring night of stargazing!

10:30pm - Grab your camera and tap into your creative juices as Friends of Nevada Wilderness photographer Kirk Peterson leads a short introductory lesson on the basics of night sky photography. 

Please visit our Massacre Rim WSA and Dark Sky Sanctuary page for more information on the Sanctuary and places to stay in the Suprise Valley Area. We encourage you to make accommodations before you arrive, as lodging is limited in the valley and fills up quickly. 

Citizen astronomers are welcome! Bring your telescope, your knowledge of the night sky, and your enthusiasm to teach... and learn!