When we went to Arizona last year on vacation, we learned a lot about light pollution.  It was the first place we had every been in a long time that at night it was truly dark out.  When you live as close to Chicago as we, you forget that people can actually see the stars in other parts of the country (actually, in other parts of the state they can see the stars — just not where I live).  When Bill’s friends came to Green Bay for my wedding, they were in awe that you could actually see the stars from my parent’s driveway.  I’ll be honest, it makes me sad that my kids won’t see the stars as I did when I was kid.

This is the purpose of the Dark Sky Festival in Harmony, Florida  –  to expose the general public to the marvels of the night sky.  We forget what we can’t see.  We forget that for astronomy you need a dark sky   — the darker the better.  Wildlife needs the dark just to survive.  We also forget that poor outdoor lighting design wastes $10 billion in energy a year.

This event is on April 25th from 6 PM – 11PM and is FREE.  Yes, free — free admission and free parking.  They do encourage you to bring blankets and chairs for lawn use in the amphitheatre area, so you can be comfortable.

I hope more communities take a stand and offer great events like this one.