Stargazers, pack your tents – one of Vancouver Island’s brightest events is returning under the darkest skies of the year.
Set for Aug. 22-24 on the grounds of St. Stephen’s Anglican Church in Saanichton, the 28th annual Island Star Party welcomes stargazers of all experience levels.
Hosted by the Victoria Centre of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, the event promises a weekend full of discovery, conversation, and some of the clearest night-sky views the region has to offer.
“It’s a wonderful event where the devoted amateurs get together and we camp and get our telescopes out – but we also open it up to the public,” said Star Party coordinator Randy Enkin. “We’re very enthusiastic about getting people interested in the wonders of the night sky.”
Gates open Friday at 2 p.m. and close Sunday at noon. Admission is free, and while campers are encouraged to offer donations, the event is entirely volunteer-driven.
Programming begins each night at 7 p.m., with highlights including Friday’s keynote on quantum computing’s role in astronomy and Saturday’s lecture on gravitational lensing – “this crazy thing that actually comes out of Einstein’s equations,” as Enkin puts it.
Once darkness settles in, telescopes of all sizes will line the field, giving guests a hands-on tour of constellations, star clusters, and galaxies.
“You can’t just go to a store and know what telescope to buy,” said Enkin. “Here, you get to see the whole range and talk to people about what works and why. It gives you real experience under the night sky.”
Those who stick around into the early hours will be treated to a rare planetary alignment, featuring Venus, Jupiter, Uranus, and Saturn in a near-perfect line – a spectacle best seen around 4 or 5 a.m.
And for one lucky attendee, the event could end with a new telescope of their own, courtesy of a Saturday night giveaway.
“It’s fun. It’s satisfying. And it’s a great community,” said Enkin. “We’re just excited to share the sky with people – it’s what keeps us out there all night.”
After nearly three decades, the Island Star Party continues to prove that some of the best views on Vancouver Island are found by simply looking up.
