Cook County is home to one of the darkest skies in the world. Every year, explorers, adventurers, artists and photographers from around the world travel to Cook County to experience the northern lights and night sky. The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) has been named as one of only 17 certified International Dark Sky Sanctuaries in the world! And at over a million acres, it is the largest. Help us to celebrate our world-class dark sky at the fifth Dark Sky Festival!

Schedule of Events:

Thursday, December 7, 2023

8:30 am - 4:30 pm: Documentary: Northern Nights, Starry Skies

All day long, catch the documentary “Northern Nights, Starry Skies.” A visually stunning celebration of our spectacular starry skies above the world’s largest designated Dark Sky sanctuary. Ojibwe, Dakota cultural astronomers and other experts share the wonders of the heavens. The documentary, which was co-produced by WDSE and Hamline University’s Center for Global Environmental Education, also illuminates ways we can reduce the negative impacts of light pollution.

Location: Grand Portage National Monument Heritage Center, 170 Mile Creek Road, Grand Portage, MN 55605

10 am - 4 pm: Art Exhibition: Dark Skies

From Nov. 17-Dec. 10, experience Dark Skies, an exhibit featuring the artwork of Adam Swanson and Sam Zimmerman.

Location: Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery, 115 Wisconsin Street, Grand Marais, MN 55604

4-6 pm: Thursday Art Night: Painting The Aurora And Night Skies

Stop in for Joy & Co.’s free weekly art night program featuring fun demos and projects. This one will focus on painting the aurora and night skies.

Location: Joy & Co., 16 1st Ave W, Grand Marais, MN 55604

5:30 pm: Dark Skies Dinner

Location: Justine's Dining Room At Gunflint Lodge, Gunflint Trail, 143 South Gunflint Lake Road, Grand Marais, MN 55604

7 pm: Darkness, Aurora, Photography & Astronomy Presentations With Representatives From Chik-Wauk Museum & Nature Center

From 7-7:30 pm, co-chair of Chik-Wauk Dark Sky Committee David Coleman will do a presentation on darkness, the aurora and photography. From 7:30-8 pm, Chik-Wauk's campus director Bonnie Schudy will do astronomy presentations using Chik-Wauk's new 3D panorama screen projection system.

Location: Boundary Waters Hall At Gunflint Lodge, Gunflint Trail, 143 South Gunflint Lake Road, Grand Marais, MN 55604

8 pm: Telescope Viewing & Photography Demonstrations

Enjoy telescope observations with Shawn Williams and photography demonstrations with David Coleman.

Location: Gunflint Lodge, Gunflint Trail, 143 South Gunflint Lake Road, Grand Marais, MN 55604

Friday, December 8, 2023

8:30 am - 4:30 pm: Documentary: Northern Nights, Starry Skies

All day long, catch the documentary “Northern Nights, Starry Skies.” A visually stunning celebration of our spectacular starry skies above the world’s largest designated Dark Sky sanctuary. Ojibwe, Dakota cultural astronomers and other experts share the wonders of the heavens. The documentary, which was co-produced by WDSE and Hamline University’s Center for Global Environmental Education, also illuminates ways we can reduce the negative impacts of light pollution.

Location: Grand Portage National Monument Heritage Center, 170 Mile Creek Road, Grand Portage, MN 55605

10 am - 4 pm: Art Exhibition: Dark Skies

From Nov. 17-Dec. 10, experience Dark Skies, an exhibit featuring the artwork of Adam Swanson and Sam Zimmerman.

Location: Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery, 115 Wisconsin Street, Grand Marais, MN 55604

2-3 pm: Follow The Seasons-Follow The Stars With Jim Knutson-Kolodzne Of Native Skywatchers Program

A brief overview by Jim Knutson-Kolodzne (Ottawa) of Native Skywatchers Program of the Dakota and Anishinaabe tribal nations of Mni Sota Makoce (Minnesota). Discussions will center on how the moon and stars guided seasonal behavior, celebrations and movements of native people on Mother earth.

Location: Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery, 115 Wisconsin Street, Grand Marais, MN 55604

3-4 pm: Skyglow, Satellites And Space Junk: The Transformation Of The Night Sky With Jessica Heim

For millennia, humans have observed the heavens: the night sky has been and continues to be important to people in cultures across the world. However, the skies are transforming before our eyes. Light pollution - wasted light going up into the sky - is washing out our view of the stars. Many people can no longer see the Milky Way from where they live, and light pollution is growing at an increasing rate.

Meanwhile, rapidly increasing numbers of satellites stand to irrevocably alter our view of the cosmos, with marked impacts on professional astronomers, living cultural traditions, and casual stargazers alike. This presentation by cultural astronomer Jessica Heim of Native Skywatchers will discuss these emerging changes to our night sky, as well as giving an overview of efforts underway to help address these challenges.

Location: Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery, 115 Wisconsin Street, Grand Marais, MN 55604

5:30 pm: Dark Skies Dinner

Location: Justine's Dining Room At Gunflint Lodge, Gunflint Trail, 143 South Gunflint Lake Road, Grand Marais, MN 55604

6:30 pm: Stargazing Party With Low Light Experiences

There's limited space, so sign up now to join the stargazing party with night vision monoculars! The group will meet up the Gunflint Trail some, so the light pollution should be relatively low, the illumination from the moon won't be terrible, and hopefully the skies clear! $60 per person - sign up here.

Location: Mink Lake Parking Lot, Gunflint Trail, Grand Marais, MN 55604

6:30 pm: “Spirits Dancing - The Night Sky, Indigenous Knowledge, & Living Connections To The Cosmos” Presentation By Travis Novitsky

Travis Novitsky will be doing a short (20-25 min) reading of some passages from his new book “Spirits Dancing: The Night Sky, Indigenous Knowledge, & Living Connections to the Cosmos”

Location: Grand Portage National Monument Heritage Center, 170 Mile Creek Road, Grand Portage, MN 55605

7 pm: Book Signing And Meet & Greet With Travis Novitsky

Meet Grand Portage-based astrophotographer Travis Novitsky and get a copy of his new book “Spirits Dancing: The Night Sky, Indigenous Knowledge, & Living Connections to the Cosmos” signed.

Location: Grand Portage National Monument Heritage Center, 170 Mile Creek Road, Grand Portage, MN 55605

7 pm: Stellarium: Tracking The Heavens, Presviously, Now, or In The Future With Emma Adams

Chik-Wauk Museum & Nature Center Dark Sky Committee Co-Chair Emma Adams will do a presentation using Stellarium and show segements of the documentary "Northern Lights, Starry Skies."

Location: Boundary Waters Hall At Gunflint Lodge, Gunflint Trail, 143 South Gunflint Lake Road, Grand Marais, MN 55604

Saturday, December 9, 2023

8:30 am - 4:30 pm: Documentary: Northern Nights, Starry Skies

All day long, catch the documentary “Northern Nights, Starry Skies.” A visually stunning celebration of our spectacular starry skies above the world’s largest designated Dark Sky sanctuary. Ojibwe, Dakota cultural astronomers and other experts share the wonders of the heavens. The documentary, which was co-produced by WDSE and Hamline University’s Center for Global Environmental Education, also illuminates ways we can reduce the negative impacts of light pollution.

Location: Grand Portage National Monument Heritage Center, 170 Mile Creek Road, Grand Portage, MN 55605

10 am - 4 pm | Art Exhibition: Dark Skies

From Nov. 17-Dec. 10, experience Dark Skies, an exhibit featuring the artwork of Adam Swanson and Sam Zimmerman.

Location: Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery, 115 Wisconsin Street, Grand Marais, MN 55604

11 am - 12:30 pm: Book Signing And Meet & Greet With Paul Bogard

Meet author Paul Bogard, author of “The End of Night: Searching for Natural Darkness in an Age of Artificial Light,” and get a copy of his book signed.

Location: Drury Lane Books, 12 E. Wisconsin St., Grand Marais, MN 55604

2 pm: Dark Sky Designated Places And Why They Are Important With Caroline Torkildson

Caroline Torkildson with Starry Skies North, the Minnesota chapter of DarkSky International, will present the videos “Protecting Dark Skies” and “Dark Sacred Night” and discuss what a Dark Sky Sanctuary designation means and what dark sky communities are.

Location: Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery, 115 Wisconsin Street, Grand Marais, MN 55604

4 pm: Is It The End Of Night? With Paul Bogard

A starry night is one of nature's most magical wonders. Yet in our artificially lit world, most of us no longer experience true darkness. In this talk based on his critically acclaimed book THE END OF NIGHT, Paul Bogard seeks to restore our awareness of the spectacularly primal, wildly dark night sky and how it has influenced the human experience across everything from science to art. Using a blend of personal narrative, natural history, science, and astronomy, Bogard shares the importance of darkness-what we've lost, what we still have, and what we might regain-and the simple ways we can reduce the brightness of our nights tonight.

Location: Studio 21, 21 West Hwy. 61, Grand Marais, MN 55604

4-6 pm: Cultural Astronomy And The Native Skywatchers Initiative - Dakota And Ojibwe Stars

This program will discuss the importance of starry night skies across cultures, with a particular emphasis on D/Lakota and Ojibwe Star Knowledge.

Planisphere-making activity to follow presentation. Open to audiences of all ages. Learn more about Native Skywatchers.

Location: Surfside Ballroom & Waves Of Superior Cafe, 10 Surfside Drive, Tofte, MN 55615

6-9 pm: Star Party With The Marshall W. Alworth Planetarium

Representatives of the Marshall W. Alworth Planetarium are bringing their mobile planetarium to the Surfside Ballroom for a Star Party! Enjoy fun activities, presentations and telescope viewing. Star Party is open to all, no pre-registration is required.

Location: Surfside Ballroom, 10 Surfside Drive, Tofte, MN 55615

6:30 pm: Stargazing Party With Low Light Experiences

There's limited space, so sign up now to join the stargazing party with night vision monoculars! The group will meet up the Gunflint Trail some, so the light pollution should be relatively low, the illumination from the moon won't be terrible, and hopefully the skies clear! $60 per person - sign up here.

Location: Mink Lake Parking Lot, Gunflint Trail, Grand Marais, MN 55604

Date:
December 7-9, 2023

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