Take a trip to the stars & beyond at Tower Grove Park’s first-ever Astronomy Festival! Enjoy a full day of festivities for all ages at this free, public event. Our schedule includes:
10:00am-12:00pm: Space Storytime and Mobile Planetarium Shows
Stupp Center at Tower Grove Park, 3616 Southeast Drive
Join us at the Tower Grove Park Stupp Center for a morning of kid-friendly fun at the Astronomy Festival! We’ll be joined by St. Louis Public Library-Carpenter Branch for space-themed storytelling from 10:00-10:30am in the Stupp Center Outdoor Amphitheater.
Inside, folks will enjoy the stories of the stars through viewing constellations in a mobile planetarium, brought to you by the St. Louis Science Center. The planetarium shows run 15-minutes long, and are ticketed for capacity. Advance registration is required for the planetarium shows, but walk-ups are welcome for Space Storytime.
12:00pm-1:00pm: Lunch-and-Learn Astronomy Talk
“Urban Light Pollution and Bird Migration”
Fountain Pond at Tower Grove Park, 4257 Northeast Drive
Head over to the Tower Grove Park Beer and Cocktail Garden at the Fountain Pond to enjoy a talk by a local expert Don Ficken, Chapter Chair and Executive Director of International Dark-Sky Association—Missouri Chapter and Jean Favara, Vice President of Conservation for St. Louis Audubon Society. Discover the effects of light pollution and the importance of dark skies in maintaining our wildlife - especially birds migrating over our Mississippi Flyway.
Grab lunch at the Tower Grove Farmer’s Market on your way over! Seating is limited, so we encourage attendees to bring their own chairs or picnic blankets.
American Sign Language (ASL) will be provided by Paraquad’s Deaf Way Interpreting Services for this talk.
2:00pm-5:00pm: Vendor Fair
West End of Tower Grove Park, West Drive.
Explore a variety of hands-on educational activities, including:
DIY rocket launches with Challenger Learning Center
Solar telescope viewing (sunspotters) with St. Louis Astronomical Society
Space crafts with Tower Grove Park
St. Louis Science Center education booth
“Climb to the Stars” rock climbing wall with Upper Limits
James Webb telescope images with NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) Solar System Ambassadors
Planet scavenger hunt with telescopes with the Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering at St. Louis University
Model rockets + relics with WU Rocketry Team
Make-your own-telescope, black hole ballooning, and gravity + orbital motion demo with the Department of Physics at Washington University in St. Louis
Mars & Moon globes + Meteorites with the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis
Institute for Multi-messenger Astrophysics and Cosmology, Physics Department, Missouri University of Science and Technology
International Dark-Sky Association—Missouri / Lights Out Heartland
Nocturnal Animals with St. Louis Wildlife Project
Drone demonstration with STL From Above
We’ll also have local artisans and makers on-site to sell their wares, including:
Contact tmorton@towergrovepark.org if interested in selling.
6:00pm-7:00pm: Astronomy on Tap Talk
“Beautiful Science: Combining the Art of Astrophotography with the Pursuit of Science Data”
Dr. Pamela Gay of Cosmoquest and the Planetary Science Institute will present a talk in conjunction with Astronomy on Tap - St. Louis.
Talk description: It doesn't matter if you're taking your own images or creating new compositions from archived data, your beautiful pictures may put you on the pathway to doing science. In this presentation, we discuss the various ways you can help scientists better understand our universe while creating your own stunning views of the skies we all share. We'll show you examples of what others are already doing, how this has transformed our understanding of other worlds, and show you how you too can be part of it all - no telescope required.
Drinks and food will be available to purchase on site. Space is limited, and advance registration is strongly recommended. The talk takes place outdoors at the Tower Grove Park West End Picnic Site. Seating is limited, so we encourage attendees to bring their own chairs or picnic blankets.
Food for sale by Hafa Adai Catering & Jaaise Grubb and drinks from 4 Hands Brewing Co. from 5:30pm-8:00pm
American Sign Language (ASL) will be provided by Paraquad’s Deaf Way Interpreting Services for this talk.
7:00pm-9:00pm: Sunset Stargazing + Telescope Viewing
Get a special view of the moon, planets, and stars through telescopes provided by St. Louis Astronomical Society and the St. Louis Science Center. On this date, we expect to be able to view a full moon, as well as Saturn and possibly Jupiter.
7:00pm-8:30pm: Night Hikes
West End Picnic Site (meeting location)/ Gaddy Bird Garden
Naturalists from the Missouri Department of Conservation will lead a series of guided walks through the West End of the park to search for night critters that call Tower Grove Park home. We’ll listen for owls, look for eyeshine, and see moths and more in the dark. Walks are 20-30 minutes long and will be walk-up within the time range. Expect tour departures around 7:00, 7:30, and 8:00pm
Thank you to our event sponsors, including the Department of Physics, Washington University in St. Louis and the Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, and Vera C. Rubin Observatory.
Event Materials Toolkit
Astronomy Festival Print Flyer
For more information or to request the Event Toolkit information, please email education@towergrovepark.org.