Statewide Star Party-Operation Earth Day

When:
April 23, 2023 @ 5:30 PM – 11:00 PM
2023-04-23T17:30:00-04:00
2023-04-23T23:00:00-04:00
Where:
Three Bears (Private Preserve)
711 Beaver Dam Rd
Creedmoor
NC 27522
Cost:
Free
Contact:
Kayla Ebert

Update: Due to weather concerns for Saturday night, the event has been pushed to Sunday, April 23rd with the same timeframe.

 

Come explore the cosmos with us at TLC’s Three Bears Nature Preserve in Creedmoor!

This year we are combining our Operation Earth Day Carnival with the NC Science Festival’s Statewide Star Party! Learn all about Nature at Night from community organizations and explore the night sky with fun astronomy activities. Start your journey from the parking lot by walking through a scaled version of our very own solar system and then take a pit stop at each of our activity tables to learn all about the stars, animals at night, and some of the telescopes that we will be using to view the night sky. There will even be some out of this world food for purchase provided by Dang Good Dogs!

When the sun has set, we will take an optional night hike and end the night with guided demonstrations from Raleigh Astronomy Club to share constellation stories and opportunities to look through real telescopes! This is a free event but pre-registration is required.

 

Event Schedule:

5:30-7:30pm Nature at Night Carnival

  • Learn about the moon with Oreo Moon Phases, rockets by building and testing your own paper version, constellations by hearing stories and creating your own designs, and so much more
  • Visit every table and solve our riddle to enter to win a prize!
  • Dang Good Dogs dinner for sale (Beef, turkey, and vegan hot dogs as well as drinks and snacks)

7:30-8:00pm Sunset Activities

  • Optional Night Hike and Activities in Forest (~0.25 mile)
  • Or stay for an author reading of The Stars Just Up the Street by Sue Soltis

8:00-11:00pm Night Sky Tour

  • Guided tour from Raleigh Astronomy Club volunteers and their telescopes, stay for a little or stay all the way to 11pm! It is up to you!

 

Event Location Information:

This site is equipped with restrooms with accessible stalls. The main parking area is about a 0.15 mile walk from the main event area, however, there will be closer parking available for those who need it. This is a completely outdoor event and we suggest you bring chairs and blankets, extra layers to keep warm, and a few snacks and a water bottle. We can’t wait to see you among the stars at our Three Bears Nature Preserve! If you need extra assistance or would like to request accessibility accommodations that are not listed above, please email Kayla Ebert at [email protected]

 

Partners:

NC Science Festival

Raleigh Astronomy Club

Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association

Kidzu Children’s Museum

Marbles Kids Museum

Mountains to Sea Trail

NC Adapted Sports

Raptor Insights

Schoolhouse of Wonder

Two Sisters Adventure Co.

Wake County Audubon Society

 

About the NC Science Festival:

Founded in 2010, the North Carolina Science Festival is the first statewide science festival in the United States. Through a series of community-based events each April (hosted by schools, colleges, libraries, museums, parks, businesses, and other local organizations), the Festival celebrates the economic, educational, and cultural impacts of science in North Carolina. It is an initiative of Morehead Planetarium & Science Center at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. For more information, please visit ncscifest.org. NCSciFest’s annual Statewide Star Party is made possible through the generous support of the NC Space Grant.

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