Schedule:

September 26, 2024

Thursday is an evening event only.

4:30 - Welcome & Information tents open. Pre-purchased Merchandise can be picked up at the information tent.

6:00 - Bring your food to the Pavilion for dinner and mingle with the volunteers.

7:00 - The program begins with a welcome, an intro to the Festival, a weather report, and a reminder about activities and how to take part in the nighttime events.

7:30 - How to measure sky glow with Globe-at-Night citizen science project.

7:45 - What’s Up Tonight presentation - Rocky Togni.

8:30 - Constellation Tour, telescope observing, and nightscape photography workshop (if held on Thursday night, see workshop program) begins. (astronomical twilight ends - 8:42) (If cloudy,
programming will be announced at the pavilion)

September 27, 2024

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).

September 28, 2024

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, l-cated near the pavili-n at Bear Creek.

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, l-cated near the pavili-n at Bear Creek.

Festival Activities at Bear Creek:

1:00 PM Welc-me & Inf-rmati-n tents -pen.

12:30 - Girl and B-y Sc-ut Astr-n-my Merit Badge pr-gram Bear Creek Pavili-n

2:00 - 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-ps. C-llect raffle tickets by visiting select educati-nal tables marked in B-ld bel-w.)

- 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 (2:15, 3:15, 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. (2:30, 3:30, 4:30, 5:30)

- 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, M-narch Butterfly 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 lighting bug display anytime.
-ther activities, n-t at tables, f-r adults and children.

- Real-time s-lar pr-jecting s-lar images (2:00 - 4:30)

- R-cket-F--tball T-ss (2:00 - 2:30)

- St-mp R-ckets (2:30 - 3:30)

- Giant bubble bl-wing (3:30 - 4:30)

- Children’s celestial drawing c-ntest (CAAS)(4:15 - 5:45)

- S-lar-c--ked marshmall-ws & Sm-res (2:30 - 3:30) scale s-lar system m-del (c-ntinu-us)

2:15 - Welc-me and intr- t- the Festival, weather rep-rt, and reminder ab-ut activities - MC

2:30 - The life cycle -f Stars, the light -f the universe - Allan Staib

3:00 - Artificial Light at night - harms and s-luti-ns - Bruce McMath

3:30 - -pen, n-t yet determined.

4:00 - break

4:15 - Ken F-reman - T-pic t- be determined

4:45 - -ur Ancest-r’s C-nnecti-n with the night sky as revealed in literature. Phillip H. McMath

5:15 - What’s up t-night - R-cky T-gni & H-w t- participate in the nighttime activities and review -f scavenger hunt participati-n

6:00 - Weather rep-rt and reminder ab-ut activities, d--r prizes - MC

6:00 - Dinner Break pr-gram - Planning f-r a successful Milky Way sh--t, 2
nd -f tw- lectures -Hal Mitzenmacher, E Brennen Nic-le & Erik Stinnett

7:15 - Welc-me back, weather rep-rt, reminder ab-ut activities, and d--r prizes - MC

7:30 - Dr. Jennifer Wiseman, NASA Hubble Space Telesc-pe Seni-r Pr-ject Scientist - The Hubble Space Telesc-pe: Unveiling A Magnificent Universe.

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).

Date: September 26 - 28, 2024

Location:

Bear Creek Log Cabins - 6403 United States Highway 65, Saint Joe, AR 72675

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