Heritage StarFest

Heritage StarFest 2026

Started in 2010, this annual festival celebrates the amazing night skies of Capitol Reef and surrounding Wayne County. Come learn more about astronomy, our connection to the night sky, and how darkness is important to the health of all living things.

Hosted by Capitol Reef National Park and the Entrada Institute, 2026's events will take place September 9th through 12th:

• Wednesday-Friday events take place in Capitol Reef National Park.
• Events on Saturday, September 12 take place in the nearby town of Torrey, ~11 miles west of the visitor center.

Activities and events are free. Saturday events at the Entrada Institute require registration to reserve a seat.

 

Tyler Nordgren

Wednesday, September 9, 2026

• 8:00 pm - Nocturnal Animals Evening Program
  • Fruita Campground Amphitheater
  • Followed by Star Gazing at approximately 9:00 pm
    • Bring a flashlight or headlamp for walking to/from the site, red lights preferred.

Thursday, September 10, 2026

• 2:00-4:00 pm - Solar Telescope Viewing
  • Outside the Visitor Center
• 8:00 pm - Astronomy Evening Program
  • Fruita Campground Amphitheater
  • Followed by Star Gazing at approximately 9:00 pm
    • Bring a flashlight or headlamp for walking to/from the site, red lights preferred.

Friday, September 11, 2026

• 2:00-3:00 pm - Special Presentation: Astrobiology and the Search for Life Beyond Earth
  • Special Guest Speaker: Paige Wheatley, PhD, Clark Planetarium
  • Visitor Center Theater
• 2:00-4:00 pm - Solar Telescope Viewing and Astronomy Activities
  • Outside the Visitor Center
• 3:00 - 3:30 pm - Nocturnal Animals Talk
  • Fruita Campground Amphitheater
• 4:00-5:00 pm - Special Presentation: Earth or Mars? How Southern Utah is a Stand-in for the Red Planet
  • Special Guest Speaker: Cameron Pace, PhD, Southern Utah University
  • Visitor Center Theater
• 8:00-9:00 pm - Special Presentation: To the Edge of Infinity: Our Solar System Through the Eyes of Spacecraft
  • Special Guest Speaker: Jason Trump, Director of Education, Clark Planetarium
  • Fruita Campground Amphitheater
• 9:00-11:00 pm - Star Party
  • Join park rangers and guest amateur astronomers to view celestial wonders through a variety of telescopes. Telescopes will be set up in the Fruita Campground Amphitheater Parking Lot.
    • Very limited parking at campground for non-campers. More parking available across from the Gifford House or at the Picnic Area.
      • Campers: if possible, please walk over from the campground.
    • Bring a flashlight or headlamp for walking to/from the site, red lights preferred (no white lights allowed in the viewing area).

Saturday, September 12, 2026

Events will take place at the Torrey Town Park (100 N. 75 East in Torrey, Utah) and at the Entrada Institute's Robber's Roost (185 W. Main Street in Torrey, Utah).

• 1:00-4:30 pm - Dark Sky Presentations - Entrada Institute
  • Including: 3:00-4:00 pm - Special Presentation: A Voyage to Tomorrow: Moon Bases, Mars Cities, and Humanity’s Future in Space
  • Special Guest Speaker: Jason Trump, Director of Education, Clark Planetarium
  • Entrada Institute at Robber's Roost: 185 W. Main Street, Torrey, Utah
  • Registration required: https://www.entradainstitute.org/events-calendar/
• 3:00-5:00 pm - Solar Telescope Viewing and Astronomy Activities
  • At the Farmers Market -- Torrey Town Park: 100 N. 75 East in Torrey, Utah
• 7:00 - 8:00 pm - "3hattrio" in Concert
  • Free concert, advance registration required: https://www.entradainstitute.org/events-calendar/
  • Robber's Roost: 185 W. Main Street, Torrey, Utah
• 8:30-11:00 pm - Star Party
  • Join park staff, Torrey Dark Sky community partners, and guest amateur astronomers to view the Milky Way and other celestial wonders through multiple telescopes.
    • Torrey Town Park: 100 N. 75 East in Torrey, Utah
    • Bring a flashlight or headlamp for walking to/from the site, red lights preferred (no white lights allowed in the viewing area).
• 9:30 pm - Night Sky Monitoring
  • Participate in dark sky data collection for Utah's first International Dark Sky Community!
  • Meet at the Torrey Town Park, under the solar panels, to help document the quality of the night sky. Orientation and training will be provided, and then volunteers will be driving to a variety of locations in the Torrey-Teasdale area.

 

Park staff at Heritage StarFest 2023

NPS / Jeff Zylland

Volunteering for Heritage StarFest

If you are interested in volunteering for this event, please email the park's volunteer office. Join in the fun with your personal telescope or provide assistance with events.