For one weekend this September, the giant sequoias won’t be the only reason to look up. Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks will host three days of astronomy, wildlife programs, photography workshops, ranger talks, and telescope viewings as the 13th Annual Dark Sky Festival returns September 11–13, 2026.
The festival is spread across both national parks, with additional programming in Three Rivers and at Lake Kaweah. And while the stars are the obvious attraction, the weekend goes well beyond stargazing. Visitors can learn about bats and other nocturnal animals, safely observe the Sun, hear from Caltech astrophysicists, take a night hike, or simply spend an evening looking at galaxies and star clusters through powerful telescopes. Festival activities and speaker sessions are free, though standard national park entrance fees apply for programs inside the parks.
What is the Dark Sky Festival?
The Dark Sky Festival celebrates the natural darkness of Sequoia and Kings Canyon and explores why it matters for astronomy, wildlife, science, and our own experience of the outdoors. The parks have some of the darkest skies in California, offering views that are increasingly difficult to find near heavily developed areas.
This year is also notable because festival programming is expanding into Three Rivers for the first time, making some of the astronomy and dark-sky science events more accessible to visitors from the Central Valley.
What to expect at the Sequoia Dark Sky Festival
The Sequoia Dark Sky Festival packs a lot into its three-day schedule, with daytime activities leading into evening programs under the parks’ exceptionally dark skies. During the day, visitors can check out solar telescope viewings, astronomy presentations, hands-on science activities, and family-friendly programs covering everything from planets and asteroids to light pollution and the importance of preserving natural darkness.
Once the sun goes down, the festival shifts toward stargazing and night-sky experiences. Friday’s Big Stump Star Party and Saturday’s Sequoia Star Party bring astronomers and telescopes into the parks for closer looks at galaxies, star clusters, and other celestial objects. There’s also a nightscape photography workshop for anyone hoping to capture the stars, plus guided bat walks and programs about nocturnal wildlife.
Saturday evening also brings a guided night hike to Panoramic Point in Kings Canyon, combining a short walk with astronomy and views across the canyon. New for 2026, the festival is expanding into Three Rivers and Lake Kaweah, where Sunday programming includes solar viewing, dark-sky talks, and another evening star party.
Key details
🌌 What: 13th Annual Dark Sky Festival
📅 When: September 11–13, 2026
📍 Where: Sequoia National Park, Kings Canyon National Park, Three Rivers, and Lake Kaweah
🎟️ Admission: Festival activities and speaker sessions are free; regular national park entrance fees apply inside Sequoia and Kings Canyon.
