By Jaime Polmateer
Tourism Wells Gray is holding a Stargazing and Sci-fi Movie Night series this summer at Clearwater Airport (Wells Gray Air) 75 Camp Two Rd., offering locals and tourists four free nights of astronomy and b-movie fun.
The first night of the series took place July 18 with a screening of the 1959 movie, Planet 9 From Outer Space, and a presentation by Bill Burnyeat, community astronomer for B.C. Park’s community astronomy program.
The remaining dates of the series fall on July 25 and Aug. 1 and 8, with Burnyeat delivering another presentation on the last night of the series.
“We’ve heard from some accommodations that visitors struggle with things to occupy themselves with later on in the evening after they’re finished with their activities in the park,” said Stephanie Molina, marketing manager with Tourism Wells Gray.
“We thought this would be a neat event for both the visitors and the community.”
Molina added the Thompson-Nicola Regional District used to put on a one-night Stargazing Festival in the community, but handed the event off to Tourism Wells Gray, with the latter group deciding to make a multi-night series out of the event.
The addition of the science fiction movies was created to give those interested in participating something to do while the sun goes down because of the later sunsets that occur in the middle of the summer.
“And we thought it would be a neat and quirky activity for both the community and for the visitors,” Molina said.
The presentations by Burnyeat that take place on the first and last nights of the series have him discussing and identifying different objects and constellations in the night sky and on both nights there’s at least one 16’ diameter telescope onsite for people to use.
The next movies in the series’ line up include Gamera: Destroy All the Planets, The Mysterians, and Starcrash.
“These are all retro, vintage, 50s, 60s and 70s sci-fi movies; they’re quite funny and entertaining in the sense that they might not be the greatest major, modern day sci-fi productions, but they’re cult classics for people to enjoy,” Molina said.
She added Tourism Wells Gray hopes for a good turnout and if the series is a success in the community, the event will continue in the coming years.
The films start at 8 p.m. with the star viewing taking place at 9:30 p.m.
Concessions are also available.
The events require participants to bring their own lawn chairs or blankets to sit on and pets aren’t allowed onsite.
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