Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park announces Star Gazing Parties

Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park invites visitors to view and learn about the nighttime sky through three Star Gazing Parties scheduled throughout 2018.

These special National Park Service events, held in partnership with the Shenandoah Astronomical Society (SAS) and the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation, are scheduled for Saturday, April 21^st, Saturday, August 11^th and Saturday, October 13^th.  As part of the National Park Service’s “Find Your Park” campaign, these programs encourage visitors to explore Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park in a variety of ways and to discover the night sky in a quiet and peaceful setting.

All three programs are free of charge and will be held at the Thoburn Redoubt property, located on Bowman’s Mill Road, in Warren County.  This tract has been preserved by the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation and marks the location where the Battle of Cedar Creek began on October 19, 1864.  The site will be marked by directional signage for each event.

The Star Party on Saturday, April 21^st will begin at 8:00 p.m. is scheduled to coincide with the Lyrid Meteor Shower.  The Star Party on August 11^th will start at 8:30 p.m. and is scheduled to coincide with the Perseid Meteor Shower, which results from debris stream associated with the comet Swift-Tuttle.  The Star Party on October 13^th will begin at 6:30 p.m. and will examine a variety of celestial features in the nighttime sky.

Each program will include a short introduction by a park ranger, followed by an astronomical related program given by a member of the SAS.  Visitors are welcomed to bring their own telescopes, or use the ones that will be provided by the Shenandoah Astronomical Society.

Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park offers a wide variety of ranger-conducted programs, which tell the park’s many stories related to the rich cultural history of the Shenandoah Valley and the American Civil War.  These programs are offered regularly. Check the park website (www.nps.gov/cebe) or call (540) 869-3051 for a current schedule.

About Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park

Created on December 19, 2002, Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park encompasses approximately 3,700 acres across three counties and includes the key partner sites of Belle Grove Plantation (owned by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and managed by Belle Grove, Inc.), Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation, Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation, and a developing Shenandoah County Park. The partner sites continue to be owned and operated independently.

The park commemorates a nationally significant Civil War landscape and antebellum plantation by sharing the story of Shenandoah Valley history from early settlement through the Civil War and beyond. The park is also located within the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District, a National Heritage Area.