Cranborne Chase National Landscape will host its annual family-friendly ‘StarFest’ event from 2nd – 4th April in Wimborne.
Do you have a fascination with the stars, planets or astronomy? Take part in Cranborne Chase National Landscape’s ‘StarFest 2024’. This three-day event will celebrate International Dark Sky Week through a range of activities, encouraging everyone to get involved in preserving our dark skies.
Taking place from Tuesday 2nd – Thursday 4th April in The Allendale Centre, Wimborne, there is a range of sessions for everyone to enjoy:
- Drop-in arts and craft activities
- Drop-in dark sky advice sessions
- Bookable family-friendly sessions in our Pop-Up Planetarium
- Family-friendly Kamishibai storytelling with Authors Ewen and Michaela Sedman
- Storytelling with Lizzie Bryant
- Art Workshop with Mary McIntyre
- Stargazing Evening further afield in Damerham
The event will round-off with an Astrotourism talk for local businesses on 4th April in Wimborne, helping them to promote and benefit from our dark skies. Presented remotely by Astronomer Richard Darn who will share his experience of working with businesses, Cranborne Chase National Landscape’s Dark Sky Advisor Steve Tonkin will be on-hand to demonstrate a range of equipment and the simple measures you can take to make your business more dark sky friendly.
Cranborne Chase was the first National Landscape (formerly AONB) in the country to be designated in its entirety as an International Dark Sky Reserve in 2019. The event has been organised by Cranborne Chase National Landscape and the Chase & Chalke Landscape Partnership, supported by the National Heritage Lottery Fund.
Steve Tonkin, Dark Sky Advisor at Cranborne Chase National Landscape says: “Stargazing unveils the vastness of our universe, igniting wonder and curiosity. Protecting our dark skies ensures future generations can marvel at the beauty of the cosmos, connecting us to the natural world…
…We are delighted that StarFest is returning this year, engaging the community with the preservation of celestial views and our delicate nocturnal ecosystems.”
All sessions are free, but booking is essential (excluding events highlighted as ‘drop-in’.)