Staff Reports | Happenings & Events
The Town of Fountain Hills and the Fountain Hills Dark Sky Preservation are announcing the annual, free Dark Sky Festival from 4 to 9 p.m. March 29 from 4 at the Fountain Hills Community Center, 13001 N. La Montana Drive.
This year’s event will feature talks from NASA astronaut Chris Birch and naturalist Amy Burnett, according to a press release.
Mr. Birch’s “From the Desert Toward the Moon, an Astronaut’s Journey” talk will walk guests through the road from dark sky nights in the Arizona desert to training to live in space and closing in on a return to the Moon. Burnett’s “Living in a ‘Too Lit’ World” features personal stories of rescued animals who have been indirect victims of light pollution, and talks about its far-reaching impacts: from individual animals to wild populations already in trouble.
The student art contest returns to the festival this year, where students ages k-12 in Fountain Hills can win cash and showcase their art.
This year’s theme is The Night Shift: Critters that Crave the Dark Sky.
Guests can also enter an auction for the chance to win stargazing experiences, baskets filled with night sky-related items, golf and resort packages, jewelry and more. The online auction begins at noon on Sunday, March 23, and closes at 8 p.m. on March 29.
