Slated for 8:30 p.m. until 11 p.m. near the park office at the top of Scenic Mountain, the program will offer something for everyone in the family, according to Ron Alton, manager of the park.

“It’s one of the bigger events of the year for us,” said Alton. “It’s a fun and educational way to spend a Saturday night outdoors with your family. You can take a tour of the night sky with area amateur astronomy clubs.

“It’s a great chance for families to spend some quality time together, as well. It doesn’t matter how old you are, seeing the stars and the different heavenly bodies through a telescope is just amazing.”

Alton said the West Texas Amateur Astronomy Club from Midland will provide several high-powered telescopes for those attending to get a better look at the heavens.

“They’ve been really great in helping us put the stargazing event on each year,” said Alton. “They really love doing this. Most people who are into astronomy love to teach others about it, so there will be plenty of knowledgeable people to answer questions during the presentation.”

And while mother nature may or may not cooperate with the stargazing event, Alton said he and the rest of the staff at the park have a back-up plan.

“If the weather doesn’t cooperate with us — we have too many clouds or it rains — we’ll reschedule the Stargazing for July 12,” said Alton.

Admission to the park is $2 for those age 13 and over. There is no charge for children 12 and under.

“We invite everyone to come out,” said Alton. “These events keep the state park finances going, especially in these times when budgets are being even more closely examined than in previous times. The state looks at attendance at these types of events when they decide how much to allocate, so participating is very important.”

Alton invites everyone to come early, perhaps even picnic at the park.

“It’s a great place to watch the sunset, so plan to come early and enjoy the view before the presentations begin,” he said. “With so much going on in our daily lives, this represents a great opportunity for families to spend some time together.”

The state park is located at No. 1 Scenic Drive, just off FM 700 near Wasson Road. For more information about the stargazing event, contact Alton at 263-4931.

Contact Staff Writer Thomas Jenkins at 263-7331 ext. 232 or by e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it