The 2024 Arkansas Dark-Sky Festival will be three days alongside picturesque Bear Creek, just off of Hyw. 65 south of the Buffalo River, an International Dark-Sky Park.  During the day, there will be presentations, hikes, and other activities for adults and children.  Each night, we will rediscover the night sky as our ancestors knew it, complete with guided constellation tours and telescopic views of celestial objects under the Summer Milk Way. Please explore this page, view videos about the festival here

Schedule:

Pre-event Activities:

The area ab-unds with p-tential activities that are n-t part -f the festival. See the Searcy C-unty Activity Guide f-r activity inspirati-n and the Dining Guide f-r meal inspirati-n. In additi-n, y-u might inquire ab-ut tubing at Grinder’s Ferry -r Shine Eye. F-r an eye--pening insight int- h-w settlers lived in the -zarks n-t very l-ng ag-, visit the C-llier H-mestead at Tyler Bend, -ne -f the last h-mesteads grants.
-n-site:

9:00 - 11:00 AM - Nature Hikes (wildfl-wer walk, bird walk, creek walk, t- be determined). Sign up at the N-rth Central Arkansas Master Naturalists (NCAMN) Table near the Bear Creek pavili-n.

10:00 - 11:00 AM - Stream Team, N-rth Central Arkansas Master Naturalists. Learn h-w water quality and macr-invertebrate insects are m-nit-red by naturalists w-rking with AGFC. Sign up at the NCAMN Table near the Bear Creek Pavili-n.

Festival Activities at Bear Creek:

3:00 - Welc-me & Inf-rmati-n tents -pen.

3:15 - The Sun, Real-time s-lar telesc-pe views.

4:00 - Tabling (“tables” may be help-y-urself unstaffed s-urces -f inf-rmati-n, c-ntinu-usly staffed, -r peri-dically staffed f-r t-pic-specific w-rksh-p presentati-ns. “TBD” means a precise time f-r a w-rksh-p has n-t yet been determined.)

- Ab-ut library telesc-pes (NCAMN/ANSA).

- Using small telesc-pes and bin-culars f-r sky-watching

- H-w t- participate in the festival scavenger hunt

- C-nnect the C-nstellati-ns (NCAMN)

- Learn ab-ut the night sky by playing a fun game with star charts.
(c-ntinu-us)

- Central Arkansas Astr-n-mical S-ciety mete-rite table.

- T-uch, examine, and learn ab-ut mete-rites (c-ntinu-us)

- Birds and Light P-lluti-n (Audub-n & L-H)

- H-w birds are impacted by light p-lluti-n during migrati-n and -ther bird safety
c-ncerns. (c-ntinu-us)

- Resp-nsible lighting (ANSA)

- Self-certifying y-ur h-me lighting as night sky friendly (4:15, 5:15)

- Measuring light p-lluti-n in y-ur neighb-rh--d and rep-rting it as a citizen
scientist t- Gl-be-at-night. (4:45)

- The STEM table (NWAS)

- Hands--n experiments inv-lving the creati-n -f impact craters and -rbital
mechanics. (c-ntinu-us)

- Crater m-deling

- Expl-rer Scientific

- telesc-pes and related equipment (c-ntinu-us)

- Wild -nes, Arkansas M-narch and P-llinat-r C-nservati-n Partnership & NWACC

- Learning t- use iNaturalist and Seek Apps t- find and rep-rt -n wildlife near y-u as a citizen scientist, and inf-rmati-n/c-nsultati-n f-r landscaping with native plants. (4:15, 4:45, 5:15) Check -ut the lightning bug display any time.
-ther activities, n-t at tables, f-r adults and children.

- Real-time s-lar pr-jecting s-lar images (4:00 - 5:00)

- Giant bubble bl-wing (4:00 - 5:00)

- St-mp R-ckets (5:00 - 5:45)

Pavili-n Activities and Presentati-ns:

5:45 - Welc-me and intr- t- the Festival, weather rep-rt, and reminder ab-ut activities - MC

6:00 - Dinner Pr-gram - The basics -f ph-t-graphing the Milky Way, 1st -f tw- lectures - Hal
Mitzenmacher, Brennen Nic-le and Eric Stinnet

7:30 - Welc-me, intr- t- the Festival, weather rep-rt, and reminder ab-ut activities, and d--r
prizes - MC

7:45 - What’s up t-night - R-cky T-gni

8:15 - H-w t- take part in the night time activities.

8:30 - C-nstellati-n T-ur, Telesc-pe -bserving, and nightscape ph-t-graphy w-rksh-p begins
(astr-n-mical twilight ends-8:42)(If cl-udy, pr-gramming will be ann-unced at the pavili-n).