Camping with the Stars

Spend this weekend outside camping with the stars at Baylor Regional Park in Carver County!

The Minnesota Astronomical Society is hosting its Camping with the Stars annual event at Eagle Lake Observatory at Baylor Regional Park in Carver County July 21 – July 23.

This year marks the 16th annual event. The full event begins Friday evening and concludes Sunday afternoon, but you do not need to stay for the entire weekend.

Camping with the Stars Schedule of Events:

Listen to speaker presentations, win door and raffle prizes, view the sky, and participate in activities throughout the day and into the night.

• Friday, July 21st
  • 7 pm – Trena Johnson – President of the Minnesota Astronomical Society
  • 8 pm – Laura Hammerbeck – DART: A Smashing Success!
  • 9:30 pm – Brad Nasset – Laser Light Constellation Tour
• Saturday, July 22nd
  • 1 pm – Observation opens
  • 2 pm – Sarah Devine – Solar Eclipses: What, When, and How
  • 3 pm – Colin Kilbane – Start your own space program by building and launching your own model rocket
  • 5 pm – Dinner Break – Cookout with hamburgers, hot dogs.
  • 7 pm – Brad Nasset – Understanding the Night Sky
  • 8 pm – Door prize drawing (must be present to win) and raffle drawing (do not need to be present to win)
  • 9:30pm – Brad Nasset – Laser Light Constellation Tour
• Sunday, July 23rd
  • 8 am – Continental Breakfast
  • 2 pm – Activities Conclude

If you are looking to stay onsite, campsites are available in the park campground. In addition, there are tent sites on the ballfield directly adjacent to the observatory. Additional facilities onsite include picnic areas, showers, a swimming beach, beach house, picnic shelters, sand volleyball court, group camping area, horseshoe pits, and an 18-hole disc golf course

To reserve a camping site, check out the Carver County Campground page. To reserve a spot on the ballfield or register for a day pass to the events, check out the Carver County Ticketing website.