One of the great things about living in the mountains is access to a starry sky on clear nights. Summertime is a perfect time for a mountain star party, and that inspired the Friends of the Gilpin County Community Center (FGCCC) to organize one for the night of July 24. It will top off a day of festivities for Gilpin County’s “Old-Fashioned Fair” on July 24. The fair and star party take place at the Community Center grounds, 250 Norton Drive in Black Hawk.

“Our friends group is assisting the community center staff with the fair, along with the Gilpin County Animal Rescue Team, and the Archwood 4H Club members,” said FGCCC president Carolyn Collins Petersen. “There are many activities throughout the day.

Attendees can enjoy a pancake breakfast, have lunch with JKQ catering during the day, enjoy a logsplitting contest, dog agility trials, a 4H Gymkhana, visit with local artisans, community groups, the county officials, and others at their booths, and much more. Since some of us in the FGCCC are stargazers, we thought it would be fun to cap off such a great day with a star party.”

The stargazing event will begin around 8 p.m, with telescope and viewing area setup. Petersen will offer a star talk and astronomy presentation outdoors around 8:30 or 8:45 p.m. She will be joined by a couple of local astronomers, who will also give short presentations about astronomy and space exploration.

“We want to give people a chance to learn a few constellations, bright stars, and planets as it is getting dark. The moon will also put on a show later in the evening, so there will be plenty to look at for our attendees.”

The star party is sponsored by United Power and is free to attend. People are welcome to bring telescopes to set up and share views with attendees. Petersen also suggests that attendees bring lawn chairs to sit in as they gaze upward, and dress warmly, since even our summer nights can get chilly.

“We are very privileged to have such an active, enthusiastic Friends group,” said Gilpin Parks and Recreation director Gabrielle Chisholm. “Their volunteerism helped get the Community Center back open and now are helping with the fair planning, setup and cleanup, and hosting the star party. They will also be fundraising for the ‘Heart of the Community Fund,’ to get more residents into the center and program activities. Huge shout-out to FGCCC!”

Friends of the Gilpin County Community Center is made up of citizens of Gilpin County, Colorado who support the mission of the Gilpin County Community Center and its vital position in the life of our mountain community. It provides the Gilpin County Parks and Recreation Department and the county government with community feedback regarding the center and related activities.

More details will be available at the Friends of the Gilpin County Community Center booth at the fair. People can also visit the Friends of the Gilpin Community Center website at GilpinCommunityCenter.org for more information.