There’s no one better to explore the universe with than kids. Their natural sense of wonder lends itself well to the magic of the Jasper Dark Sky Festival, and there’s lots of activities that families will enjoy. Get some ideas with the events below, and explore the entire festival schedule here!
SCIENCE FEST
Oct. 21, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Get ready to show the kids a universe of science fun. Commemoration Park is turning into a science lab, with demonstrations by TELUS World of Science – Edmonton (TWOSE). The first half of the event (from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. will feature bottle rockets, bounce eggs, blast ping pong balls, a solar-powered juggler, and street performer Nikolai Smith! Things will blow up, fly through the air, and there might be a little dash of fire. The show will be highly participatory with brave members of the audience getting into the action in the name of science! Then, from 7:15 to 7:45 p.m. the science crew will be back to explore the physics of our solar system, stars, and universe in ways that will make you laugh while you learn.
*Free event – no pre-registration required*
SOLAR GAZING WITH THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY OF CANADA
Oct. 21 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Take a closer look at the closest star to Earth: Sol (aka the sun). Using specialized filters and solar telescopes with the help of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada’s Edmonton Centre astronomers, peer at a dynamic ball of gases that erupts in flares and prominences, and cools to show sunspots and filaments. (Weather permitting.)
*Free event – no pre-registration required*
WISEST YOUTH WORKSHOP
Oct. 21, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Join Women in Scholarship, Engineering, Science, & Technology (WISEST) in a hands-on workshop designed for youth between the ages of 9-11 years old and 12-16 years old. Participate in chemistry demonstrations such as lighting a pickle or making a lava lamp, plus group activities designed to spark excitement for science! WISEST focuses on creating effective programs to empower women (and other under represented groups) to pursue, impact, and succeed in the fields of science, engineering, and technology.
GEO-CACHING
Oct 13 – 29, self-guided
Ahoy Dark Sky pirates! Want to go on a Rocky Mountain treasure hunt? No ship or eye patch required! Instead, fire up your smart phone or GPS unit and get ready for a self-guided hunt for hidden caches in and around Jasper. Treasure-seekers of any age can do it. Just sign up for a free account at Geocaching.com, pick a cache, and get going! There are more than 20 geocaches in the townsite, and at least 100 in the park. Most caches are little containers with goodies inside (if you take something, leave something of equal value). Some stops are EarthCaches, unique geological features that teach us about Earth’s past. Your bounty awaits…full STEAM ahead!
TELESCOPE & PLANETARIUM
(Available multiple times all festival)
Join local astronomy guides for a one-of-a-kind fun, inspiring, “audience-participation”, guided tour in The Jasper Planetarium’s 38-seat domed theatre. Inside the planetarium under the dome, your guide will share with you: stories about local Canadian Indigenous constellations, views of recent Northern Lights from Jasper, a rocket trip into space, and more!
Outside The Jasper Planetarium, our knowledgeable guides will treat you to ‘weather-proof’ radio-wave tours of distant galaxies through our NEW radio telescope, and weather-permitting visible-light views of stars, galaxies, planets and more through our optical and video telescopes. We’ll also have an instant-replay of recent views through our 4K video scope, hands-on aurora experiments, and the opportunity to hold a meteorite from our collection, as well as the chance to touch a Moon rock and Mars rock!
BIO BLITZ
Oct 1 – 31, self-guided
In celebration of Jasper Dark Sky Festival, we invite you to participate in the WISEST BioBlitz! Anyone can participate as long as you have a smartphone. The goal of this bioblitz is to record as many observations of living things in Jasper National Park during the month of October. So if you’re heading out on a hike, or going for a leisurely stroll around town, take some photos of plants, insects, animals, fungi that you come across and log them into the iNaturalist app in the WISEST bioblitz project!
Did you know that integrating community science projects like this one can help to promote equity, diversity and inclusion in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) for curious young minds? WISEST is all about trying to make sure that young girls and gender diverse students know that they have a place in STEM.
ANIMALS OF THE NIGHT HIKE
Oct. 12 to 29 from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Come join local guide Steve Lychak on this family-friendly night hike up on Pyramid Bench. You will have the opportunity to learn all about our nocturnal wildlife while we hike this scenic 4km route. There will be great views of our Dark Sky Preserve from the trail as well as the town lit up at night. Good hiking shoes will be mandatory as we will be out there in the dark, in potentially snowy conditions. Expect an elevation gain of around 100m. Cleats & headlamps will be provided if necessary. Feel free to bring your own if you’d prefer.
BLAST OFF WITH THE EDMONTON ROCKETRY CLUB
Oct. 20 (6 p.m. to 9 p.m.) and Oct. 21 (9 a.m. to 6 p.m.)
Ever want to build a rocket and learn what makes them go? Join the Edmonton Rocketry Club for guidance to those wanting to enter the world of high-powered rocketry. Build and launch various levels and sizes of model rockets. Depending on the weather, members of the ERC will also be demonstrating some of their larger rockets. Learn about rocket safety and other rocketry organizations across Canada. Rocket kits and motors will be available for sale.
*Free event – no pre-registration required*