After years of cancellations and downsized events, parties and festivals across Canada this summer are once again offering astronomy enthusiasts a chance to enjoy stargazing at its best. Many sites are noted for their exceptional dark skies or unique regional flavour.
Be sure to check event websites for important information about advance registration, fees, accommodations, directions to event sites and updates relating to park regulations or COVID-19 restrictions.
Events across Canada
Please note: SkyNews is updating this page as we are informed of changing plans. If you are hosting an event that is not yet on this page or know of restrictions or a change that is occurring, please email us at editor@skynews.ca.
Atlantic Canada
KOUCHIBOUGUAC SPRING STAR FEST
June 3-4, 2022
Kouchibouguac National Park, New Brunswick
Organizer: RASC New Brunswick Centre
Contact: Paul Owen
Phone: 506-343-7975
Email: pacificpaul@msn.com
Web: rascnb.ca
MOUNT CARLETON STAR GAZE
July 29-30, 2022
Armstrong Campground in Mount Carleton Provincial Park, New Brunswick
Organizer: RASC New Brunswick Centre
Contact: Paul Owen
Phone: 506-343-7975
Email: pacificpaul@msn.com
Web: rascnb.ca
BUTTER POT STAR PARTY
August 6-7, 2022
Butter Pot Provincial Park, Newfoundland
Organizer: RASC St. John’s Centre
Contact: Randy Dodge
Email: info@stjohnsrasc.ca
Web: stjohnsrasc.ca
13TH ANNUAL KEJIMKUJIK DARK SKY WEEKEND
August 19-21, 2022
Kejimkujik National Park & National Historic Site, Nova Scotia
Organizers: RASC Halifax Centre & Parks Canada
Contact: Colleen Anderson
Phone: 902-682-2772
Email: pc.kejimkujik.pc@canada.ca
Web: pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/ns/kejimkujik
NOVA EAST STAR PARTY
August 26-28, 2022
Smileys Provincial Park, Nova Scotia
Organizer: RASC Halifax Centre
Contact: Judy Black
Email: president@halifax.rasc.ca
Web: novaeast.rasc.ca
TERRA NOVA STAR PARTY
August 26-27, 2022
Terra Nova National Park, Newfoundland
Organizer: RASC St. John’s Centre
Contact: Randy Dodge
Email: info@stjohnsrasc.ca
Web: stjohnsrasc.ca
FUNDY STARGAZE
September 2-3, 2022
Herring Cove Site in Fundy National Park, New Brunswick
Organizer: RASC New Brunswick Centre
Contact: Paul Owen
Phone: 506-343-7975
Email: pacificpaul@msn.com
Web: rascnb.ca
KOUCHIBOUGUAC FALL STAR FEST
September 23-24, 2022
Kouchibouguac National Park, New Brunswick
Organizer: RASC New Brunswick Centre
Contact: Paul Owen
Phone: 506-343-7975
Email: pacificpaul@msn.com
Web: rascnb.ca
Central Canada
LASER GUIDED TOURS OF THE NIGHT SKY
April 29 & 30, May 27 & 28, June 24 & 25, July 29 & 30, August 26 & 27, September 23 & 24, October 21 & 22, 2022
Lennox & Addington Dark Sky Viewing Area (7980 County Road 41), Erinsville, Ontario
Organizer: Lennox & Addington Dark Sky Viewing Area
Contact: Rob Plumley
Phone: 613-453-1010
Email: stargazing@lennox-addington.on.ca
Web: DarkSkyViewing.com
FROZEN BANANA STAR PARTY
May 5-8, 2022
Mew Lake Campground in Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario
Organizer: North Bay Astronomy Club
Contact: Bill Montague
Phone: 705-492-3048
Email: astronomer123@cogeco.ca
Web: gatewaytotheuniverse.org
MILLENNIUM SQUARE PUBLIC STARGAZING
(Fridays): May 6, June 3, July 8, August 5, September 2, September 30, 2022 (with the following Saturdays held as fallback dates)
Millennium Square (at the south end of Liverpool Road), Pickering, Ontario
Organizer: RASC Toronto Centre
Contact: Arnold Brody
Phone: 905-903-2822
Email: arnbrody@gmail.com
Web: rascto.ca
ASTROPHOTOGRAPHERS ASSEMBLE
May 7, June 4, July 2, August 6, September 3, October 1, 2022
Lennox & Addington Dark Sky Viewing Area (7980 County Road 41), Erinsville, Ontario
Organizer: Lennox & Addington Dark Sky Viewing Area
Contact: Rob Plumley
Phone: 613-453-1010
Email: stargazing@lennox-addington.on.ca
Web: DarkSkyViewing.com
EVENTS AT THE NORTH FRONTENAC STARGAZING PAD
May 21 & 22, June 18 (1-4 p.m.), July 16, August 12 & 13, September 3 & 5, October 15, 2022
North Frontenac Township Dark Sky Preserve (5816 Road 506, between Plevna & Fernleigh), Ontario
Organizer: Township of North Frontenac
Contact: Manager of Community Development
Phone: 613-479-2231 ext. 233
Email: recreation@northfrontenac.ca
Web: northfrontenac.com/dark-sky-preserve.html
THE THAWED BANANA STAR PARTY
May 26-30, 2022
Chapman Observing Field (“Bobland”), South River, Ontario
Organizer: North Bay Astronomy Club
Contact: Lillian or Robert Chapman
Phone: 705-386-7087
Email: bobandlil14@gmail.com
Web: gatewaytotheuniverse.org
GATEWAY TO THE UNIVERSE STAR PARTY
Dates TBA
Location TBA, Ontario
Organizer: North Bay Astronomy Club
Contact: Bill Montague
Phone: 705-492-3048
Email: astronomer123@cogeco.ca
Web: gatewaytotheuniverse.org
UP CLOSE WITH THE MOON
June 11, July 9, August 13, 2022
Lennox & Addington Dark Sky Viewing Area
(7980 County Road 41), Erinsville, Ontario
Organizer: Lennox & Addington Dark Sky Viewing Area
Contact: Rob Plumley
Phone: 613-453-1010
Email: stargazing@lennox-addington.on.ca
Web: DarkSkyViewing.com
NEW MOON IN JUNE
June 23-26, 2022
Chapman Observing Field (“Bobland”) in South River, Ontario
Organizer: North Bay Astronomy Club
Contact: Lillian & Robert Chapman
Email: bobandlil14@gmail.com
Web: gatewaytotheuniverse.org
AUGUST STAR PARTY
August 18-21, 2022
Chapman Observing Field in South River, Ontario
Organizer: North Bay Astronomy Club
Contact: Robert or Lillian Chapman
Phone: 705-386-7087
Email: bobandlil14@gmail.com
Web: gatewaytotheuniverse.org
PERSEIDS METEOR SHOWER NIGHTS
August 12-21, 2022
Manitoulin Eco Park (Tehkummah, on Manitoulin Island), Ontario
Organizer: Manitoulin Eco Park
Email: reservations@manitoulinecopark.com
Web: manitoulinecopark.com
HALF THE NIGHT
August 25-28, 2022
Halfway Lake Provincial Park, Ontario
Organizers: RASC Sudbury Centre
Web: gatewaytotheuniverse.org
STARFEST
August 25-28, 2022
River Place Campground (RR 3, Ayton), Ontario
Organizer: North York Astronomical Association
Contact: Ken Knox
Phone: 416-220-6257
Email: starfest@nyaa.ca
Web: nyaa.ca/index.php
THE LAST CHANCE STAR PARTY
September 22-25, 2022
Restoule Provincial Park, Ontario
Organizer: North Bay Astronomy Club
Contact: Lillian or Robert Chapman
Phone: 705-386-7087
Email: bobandlil14@gmail.com
Web: gatewaytotheuniverse.org
FALL ‘N’ STARS
September 23-25, 2022
Johnson’s RV Park (3235 County Road 13, RR 3), Picton, Ontario
Organizers: RASC Kingston & Belleville Centres
Contact: Randy Boddam
Phone: 705-321-3205
Web: rascbelleville.ca/fallnstars
FESTIVAL OF STARS
September 23-25, 2022
North Frontenac Dark Sky Preserve, North Frontenac, Ontario
Organizers: North Frontenac Astronomy Club
Contact: Gary Colwell
Phone: 647-273-4193
Web: facebook.com/NFDSP
STARS OVER KILLARNEY
September 30-October 2, 2022
Killarney Provincial Park Dark Sky Preserve, Ontario
Organizers: Killarney Provincial Park & RASC Sudbury Centre
Contact: Kathleen Houlahan Chayer
Email: starsoverkillarney@ontario.ca
Web: ontarioparks.com/park/killarney
Western Canada
ALBERTA STAR-B-Q
July 1-3, 2022
Eccles Ranch Observatory, Caroline, Alberta
Organizer: RASC Calgary Centre
Contact: Roland Dechesne
Phone: 403-510-4330
Email: rolandd@cnrl.com
Web: calgary.rasc.ca/starbq.htm
THEBACHA & WOOD BUFFALO DARK SKY FESTIVAL
August 18-21, 2022
Fort Smith & Wood Buffalo National Park, Northwest Territories
Organizers: Thebacha & Wood Buffalo Astronomical Society & Parks Canada
Contact: Mike Couvrette
Phone: 867-872-0243
Email: info@tawbas.ca
Web: tawbas.ca/dark-sky-festival.html
MOUNT KOBAU STAR PARTY
August 20-28, 2022
Summit of Mount Kobau, near Osoyoos, British Columbia
Organizer: Mount Kobau Astronomical Society
Contact: Jim Failes
Phone: 250-763-6962
Email: info@mksp.ca
Web: mksp.ca
SASKATCHEWAN SUMMER STAR PARTY 2022
August 23-28, 2022
Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park (Centre Block), 30 kilometres south of Maple Creek, Saskatchewan
Organizers: RASC Saskatoon & Regina Centres
Contact: Richard Huziak
Phone: 306-280-1899
Email: sssp.sk@sasktel.net
Web: sssp.saskatoon.rasc.ca
YUKON STAR PARTY
August 26-27, 2022
Yukon Astronomical Society Observatory, Whitehorse, Yukon
Organizer: Yukon Astronomical Society (RASC Yukon Centre)
Contact: Christa
Email: yukonastronomicalsociety@gmail.com
Web: yukonastronomy.com
SOUTHERN ALBERTA STAR PARTY
September 18-23, 2022
Cypress Hills Provincial Park (Alberta side)
Organizer: Medicine Hat Astronomy Club
Contact: Rod DeVries
Email: info@sasp.ca
Web: sasp.ca
NORTHERN PRAIRIE STAR PARTY
September 20-25, 2022
Black Nugget Lake Campground (southeast of Tofield), Alberta
Organizer: RASC Edmonton Centre
Contact: Rick & Susan Bramm
Email: npsp@edmontonrasc.com
Web: edmontonrasc.com/northern-prairie-star-party
ALBERTA STAR PARTY
September 23-25, 2022
Starland Recreation Area (north of Drumheller), Alberta
Organizer: RASC Calgary Centre
Contact: Jason Nishiyama
Email: albertastarparty@gmail.com
Web: calgary.rasc.ca/asp.htm
JASPER DARK SKY FESTIVAL
October 14-23, 2022
Jasper, Alberta
Organizer: Tourism Jasper
Contact: Foundry Events
Email: info@foundryevents.ca
Web: jasperdarksky.travel
National online events
The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, General Assembly 2022
June 25-28, 2022
Online
Virtual conference hosted by RASC. See website for information about programming and registration.
Website: rascga2022.ca
