StarBQ

Potluck Picnic & Super Star Party at

Fremont Peak State Park

Viewing through the

30-inch Challenger Telescope

Fremont Peak Star-B-Q happens in late summer—see AANC Calendar

Co-sponsored by

    • the Fremont Peak Observatory Association
    • the California Department of Parks and Recreation and
    • the Astronomical Association of Northern California

The BarBQ and potluck begins around 5:00 pm, with games and door prizes to follow. Speaker TBD.

The annual Star-B-Que is a GREAT way to meet other amateur astronomers and talk to members of other astronomy clubs. Bring a dish to share and we'll provide the hotdogs, hamburgers, drinks and utensils.

Map to Fremont Peak

COST: Fremont Peak State Park charges $3 per car if you do not stay overnight and $7 for overnight (12 hours or more) use. (Most amateur astronomers camp in the picnic grounds.) Self-serve pay envelopes are provided. Please use them--the park needs the money.

FPOA will be selling raffle tickets at $1 each with proceeds going to support the Fremont Peak Observatory and the public programs.

RSVP: If you plan to attend, PLEASE call the FPOA hotline (831) 623-2465 by July 21 and leave your name, number of guests, name of your astronomy club and whether or not you are a FPOA member. Anyone interested in astronomy is welcome. You do not have to be a member of a club to attend.

POTLUCK: Begins at 5:00 p.m. behind the Ranger's house (near the Observatory). Please bring a dessert or salad or your favorite dish you would like to share. We will provide Hamburgers and fixings, soft drinks and utensils. While telescopes may be set up near the Shop and Observatory, there will be no vehicle access from about 2 p.m. until dawn (or clouds!).

CONTESTS:

    • Astronomical-gastronomical contest. Bring your astronomically interesting dish and maybe you may win a prize. Previous winners have included a Black-Hole Cheesecake, dobsonian telescope gingerbread cookies, and an anatomically correct Io Pizza. Entries will be judged based on culinary ingenuity, looks and astronomical relevance! Please enter by 4:45 p.m. Entries arriving late may be consumed without judging.
    • Astronomical Trivia Contest will be held after we eat. Our trivia contest creators are hard at work designing the contest questions right now!

GETTING THERE:

Fremont Peak is due east of Monterey Bay.

It is about two hours from San Francisco or Oakland.

Take US 101 south from San Jose to Hwy. 156 (about 10 mi south of Gilroy).

Go east on 156 to the new traffic signal as you pass San Juan Bautista.

Turn right and watch for the Fremont Peak State Park signs.

After going 0.3 miles you will jog left then immediately right and a sign will tell you that you are on County Rd. G1.

It is 11 miles to the park.

ETIQUETTE: Please cover your flashlight with a red filter.

Most people are more than happy to let you look through their telescope.

Always ask first. Please leave your pets at home.

Reports from previous Star-B-Qs:

Photo from 2008 Star-B-Q, by Morris Jones. For more photos see White Oaks photo page (22nd annual Star-B-Q in 2008 at Fremont Peak)

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