Dark Sky Festival

Friday December 8

8:30am-4:30pm | Documentary: Northern Nights, Starry Skies
All day long, watch the documentary “Northern Nights, Starry Skies,” a visually stunning celebration of our spectacular starry skies above the world’s largest designated Dark Sky sanctuary. Ojibwe, Dakota cultural astronomers and other experts share the wonders of the heavens.
at Grand Portage National Monument

10am-4pm | Art Exhibit: Dark Skies
An exhibit featuring the artwork of Adam Swanson and Sam Zimmerman (from Nov 17-Dec10).
at Johnson Heritage Post, Grand Marais

2-3pm | Native Skywatchers Program
A brief overview by Jim Knutson-Kolodzne (Ottawa) of Native Skywatchers Program of the Dakota and Anishinaabe tribal nations of Mni Sota Makoce (Minnesota). Discussions will center on how the moon and stars guided seasonal behavior, celebrations and movements of native people on Mother earth.
at Johnson Heritage Post, Grand Marais

3-4pm | Skyglow, Satellites & Space Junk
The Transformation of the Night Sky with Jessica Heim
For millennia, humans have observed the heavens: the night sky has been and continues to be important to people in cultures across the world. However, the skies are transforming before our eyes.  Light pollution – wasted light going up into the sky – is washing out our view of the stars.  Many people can no longer see the Milky Way from where they live, and light pollution is growing at an increasing rate.

Meanwhile, rapidly increasing numbers of satellites stand to irrevocably alter our view of the cosmos, with marked impacts on professional astronomers, living cultural traditions, and casual stargazers alike. This presentation by cultural astronomer Jessica Heim of Native Skywatchers will discuss these emerging changes to our night sky, as well as giving an overview of efforts underway to help address these challenges.
at Johnson Heritage Post, Grand Marais

5:30pm | Dark Skies Dinner
Check back for details and to make your reservation.
at Justine’s Dining Room at Gunflint Lodge

6:30pm | Stargazing Party with Low Light Experiences
There’s limited space, so sign up now to join the stargazing party with night vision monoculars! The group will meet up the Gunflint Trail some, so the light pollution should be relatively low, the illumination from the moon won’t be terrible, and hopefully the skies clear! $60 per person – sign up here.
Mink Lake Parking off the Gunflint Trail

6:30pm | Spirits Dancing book reading, followed by book signing at 7pm
Travis Novitsky will be doing a short (20-25 min) reading of some passages from his new book “Spirits Dancing: The Night Sky, Indigenous Knowledge, & Living Connections to the Cosmos”
at Grand Portage National Monument

7pm | Stellarium: Tracking the Heavens with Emma Adams
Chik-Wauk Museum & Nature Center Dark Sky Committee Co-Chair Emma Adams will do a presentation using Stellarium and show segements of the documentary “Northern Lights, Starry Skies.”
at Gunflint Lodge

Saturday December 9

8:30am-4:30pm | Documentary: Northern Nights, Starry Skies
All day long, watch the documentary “Northern Nights, Starry Skies,” a visually stunning celebration of our spectacular starry skies above the world’s largest designated Dark Sky sanctuary. Ojibwe, Dakota cultural astronomers and other experts share the wonders of the heavens.
at Grand Portage National Monument

10am-4pm | Art Exhibit: Dark Skies
An exhibit featuring the artwork of Adam Swanson and Sam Zimmerman (from Nov 17-Dec10).
at Johnson Heritage Post, Grand Marais

11am-12:30pm | Meet & Greet + Book Signing with Paul Bogard
Meet author Paul Bogard, author of “The End of Night: Searching for Natural Darkness in an Age of Artificial Light,” and get a copy of his book signed.
at Drury Lane Books, Grand Marais

2pm | Art Exhibit: Dark Sky Designated Places with Caroline Torkildson
Caroline Torkildson with Starry Skies North, the Minnesota chapter of DarkSky International, will present the videos “Protecting Dark Skies” and “Dark Sacred Night” and discuss what a Dark Sky Sanctuary designation means and what dark sky communities are.
at Johnson Heritage Post, Grand Marais

4pm | Is It The end of Night? with Paul Bogard
 A starry night is one of nature’s most magical wonders. Yet in our artificially lit world, most of us no longer experience true darkness. In this talk based on his critically acclaimed book THE END OF NIGHT, Paul Bogard seeks to restore our awareness of the spectacularly primal, wildly dark night sky and how it has influenced the human experience across everything from science to art. Using a blend of personal narrative, natural history, science, and astronomy, Bogard shares the importance of darkness—what we’ve lost, what we still have, and what we might regain—and the simple ways we can reduce the brightness of our nights tonight.
at Studio 21, Grand Marais

4-6pm |Cultural Astronomy and the Native Skywatchers Initiative
This program will discuss the importance of starry night skies across cultures, with a particular emphasis on D/Lakota and Ojibwe Star Knowledge.
Planisphere-making activity to follow presentation. Open to audiences of all ages. Learn more about Native Skywatchers.
at Waves of Superior Cafe, at Surfside in Tofte

6-9pm |Star Party with the Marshall Alworth Planetarium
Representatives of the Marshall W. Alworth Planetarium are bringing their mobile planetarium to the Surfside Ballroom for a Star Party! Enjoy fun activities, presentations and telescope viewing. Star Party is open to all, no pre-registration is required.
at Surfside Ballroom, in Tofte

6:30pm | Stargazing Party with Low Light Experiences
There’s limited space, so sign up now to join the stargazing party with night vision monoculars! The group will meet up the Gunflint Trail some, so the light pollution should be relatively low, the illumination from the moon won’t be terrible, and hopefully the skies clear! $60 per person – sign up here.
Mink Lake Parking off the Gunflint Trail