Upcoming Events
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41st Annual StarFest
November 6 - November 8
Three-day convention features guest speakers, telescope viewings and activities
The Bays Mountain Astronomy Club and Bays Mountain Park and Planetarium are excited to announce registration is now open for its 41st annual StarFest convention happening November 6-8.
For more than four decades, StarFest has been a gathering place for amateur and professional astronomers, hobbyists and families who enjoy the science and wonder of the night sky.
This year’s theme is “Back to the Moon…to stay!” and the convention will feature speakers who are contributing to humanity’s efforts to explore the Moon and expand our knowledge of Earth’s nearest neighbor.
The three-day event will also include plenty of free time for guests to explore Bays Mountain Park, enjoy the camaraderie of fellow StarFest attendees and take part in astronomy-related activities.
“The Bays Mountain Astronomy Club is excited to host another fantastic StarFest event especially since NASA’s Artemis program is on the verge of returning humans to the Moon for the first time in over 50 years,” said StarFest and Astronomy Club Chairman Greg Penner. “This year we’ll hear from a planetary scientist, NASA engineers and a NASA astronaut. These speakers will share with us how we’re going to the Moon and what we expect to learn by establishing a more permanent lunar presence.”
This year’s keynote speakers include:
- Kent Criswell – Lead systems engineer and Blue Origin integrator for NASA’s Human Landing System Program at the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center.
- Sarah Elizabeth McCandless – A navigation engineer in NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
- Molly McCanta – The Gerald Sisk Professor of Mineralogy and Petrology at the University of Tennessee Knoxville.
A special speaker from NASA will be announced soon!
Registration includes attendance to all of the event’s speakers and activities, five fabulous meals, door prizes, telescope viewing and a commemorative T-shirt. Registration with payment must be received by October 9.
For all the details and to register, please visit https://bit.ly/4gzjxmv. You can also click on the CivicRec link in the Connect Kingsport app or go to www.kingsporttn.gov and click on the “CivicRec” link, then search for “starfest” in the search bar.
This event is hosted by the Bays Mountain Astronomy Club and the Bays Mountain Park Association.
For more information, please visit www.baysmountain.com.
About Bays Mountain Park & Planetarium
Annually, more than 150,000 visitors pass through Bays Mountain Park making it one of the State of Tennessee’s Top 50 Most Visited Attractions, according to the State of Tennessee Department of Tourist Development. One of the nation’s largest city-owned parks with 3,788 acres, Bays Mountain Park features roughly 44 miles of hiking trails, a state-of-the-art planetarium, wildlife habitats, fun exhibits, a 44-acre lake, trails for mountain biking and much, much more. For more information, please visit www.baysmountain.com.
About the City of Kingsport
Founded in 1917, the City of Kingsport (pop. 57,500) is located on the Tennessee-Virginia border at the crossroads of I-81 and I-26 near the geographic center of the eastern United States. The city is widely known as a planned community, designed by renowned city planner John Nolen and wrapping around the foot of Bays Mountain – a 3,788-acre park, nature preserve, planetarium and observatory. Kingsport is recognized as an International Safe Community by the National Safety Council, a Healthier Tennessee community, and won the 2009 Harvard Innovations in American Government Award for its higher education initiatives. While many city names are duplicated throughout the U.S., there’s only one Kingsport – a fact that invokes community pride, known locally as the “Kingsport Spirit.” For more information, please visit www.kingsporttn.gov
