North Carolina Statewide Star Party

Call for Event Hosts for 2026 Statewide Star Party

Illustration of two people looking at the moon and night sky through trees

We are seeking event hosts for the 14th annual North Carolina Statewide Star Party, a signature event of the 2026 North Carolina Science Festival. The Statewide Star Party will be held Friday, April 24, and Saturday, April 25, 2026. This year’s theme is “Mission to the Moon.”

Star Party events offer opportunities for the public to observe the night sky and engage with hands-on astronomy activities. Star Party hosts are typically organizations such as state and local parks, planetariums, nature centers, and libraries. Most hosts work with local astronomers or astronomy clubs to support their event. We expect that most events will be held in the evening, but events held late enough in the afternoon would also be able to view the just past first quarter Moon. (Check your location’s sunset and moonrise times here—start with the search box to find your town or one close by.)

We will select Star Party hosts who are committed to putting on a successful skywatching event that’s free and open to the public, and who, collectively, can engage a geographically diverse set of visitors across North Carolina. We strongly encourage hosts to engage other community partners in putting on a successful event.   Prospective event hosts are welcome to join an (optional) NCSciFest partner meeting on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, at 12 p.m. Eastern Time, to get updates about the 2026 Festival, learn about hosting Star Party and other NCSciFest events, and to have your questions answered. Register here to be an event host.

Star Party kits:

New for 2026: This year, we are able to support up to 20 of the Star Party hosts with a free kit of hands-on activities to engage visitors. The kits are expected to include activity materials for Stomp Rockets, Moon Craters, Sizing up the Moon, Space Souvenir, and Make a Night-Sky Picture, as well as star maps, a picture book, and other resources. All Star Party hosts, regardless of whether they are selected to receive one of the limited Star Party kits, will be provided online access to the activity guides, materials lists, training videos, and other resources.

Requirements to be a Star Party host: 

  • Your event must have the support of your organization’s administration.
  • Your event must be scheduled for one of the official 2026 Star Party dates: Friday, April 24, or Saturday, April 25, 2026. A rain date or an indoor rain plan is strongly encouraged but not mandatory. 
  • Your event must be free of charge to attendees and open to the public. (Events that require a fee or have a restricted audience can still be part of the NC Science Festival, but will not be eligible to be labeled as a Statewide Star Party event.)
  • Your event includes a significant skywatching component involving the real sky. No planetarium-only events, except in case of rain.  
  • If your organization is selected to receive one of the limited Star Party kits, you commit to trying out in advance the educational activities in the kit, and to using 3 or more activities at your event.
  • If your organization is not selected to receive a free Star Party kit, you commit to using the free online Star Party resources to support your event.
  • You commit to providing a venue for your event and to recruiting and training staff and volunteers to work at your event. Do not attempt to host an event solo! 
  • You agree to read communications from the Star Party Coordinators, respond to questions, and pass along communications to everyone working the event.  

The North Carolina Science Festival and Statewide Star Party will: 

  • Provide all hosts with online access to the Star Party activity guides, training videos, and other resources.
  • Provide up to 20 of the selected hosts with a free Star Party kit with educational astronomy activity materials to engage visitors.
  • Provide a webinar training to all hosts.
  • Host an (optional) evening in-person meeting for hosts able to travel to Chapel Hill, to preview the April 24 & 25 sky and the contents of the Star Party kit. (Tentatively scheduled for January 30, 2026)
  • Promote events on the Festival website as part of the Festival’s online calendar 
  • Provide hosts with North Carolina Science Festival branding tools, such as event signage, advertising templates and the North Carolina Science Festival logo for use with print and electronic marketing efforts. 
  • Create a unique URL for hosts to use to promote the event within their community. 

Priority for receiving a Star Party kit will be given to Star Party hosts that:

  • Expand access and opportunities to communities who have not engaged with NCSciFest
  • Create inclusive environments to engage diverse community audiences
  • Propose a high-quality event
  • Demonstrate ability to produce the proposed event
  • Are in a region of the state where we’d like to have more events
  • Have a need for the kit

The deadline to apply to be a 2026 Star Party host site is Sunday, November 30, 2025 (11:59 p.m. Eastern). We will be in touch with all applicants by December 15, 2025.

Application Questions:

  • Event Plans: Describe your plans for organizing your Star Party event. Please include the location, intended audience, collaborators and partners, how your participants will observe the sky, other activities participants will do at your event, your rain/cloud plan, your staffing plan, your plan for promoting your event, and any other details you feel are important.
  • Telescopes: Star Party events usually offer telescope viewing. Where will your telescopes—and the people to operate them—come from? If you plan to partner with amateur astronomers or an astronomy club, please tell us which astronomers/club and whether you already have a relationship with them.
  • Science for All: The North Carolina Science Festival is committed to the mission of “Science for All.” Please describe how your institution and your participation in the Statewide Star Party helps to achieve that mission and improve access to STEM opportunities for North Carolinians, particularly communities or audiences who have not previously participated in NC Science Festival initiatives.
  • Star Party Kit. Would you like to apply to receive a Star Party kit of astronomy activities?
    • Yes, we’d need a kit provided by NCSciFest to be able to produce our Star Party event.
    • Yes, we’d like a kit if one is available.
    • No, we have the resources we need to produce a Star Party event without receiving a physical kit from the NCSciFest.

Apply here

For more information, please contact:
Amy Sayle
Coordinator, NC Statewide Star Party
Email: starparty@unc.edu

The Statewide Star Party is made possible with the support of NC Space Grant and the NC Science Festival.

Illustration credit: Tyler Nordgren