The Dark Skies Fringe Festival returns to the North York Moors National Park from Friday 23 October to Sunday 1 November.
This year’s event includes a UV fungi woodland walk, a dark sky-themed silent disco, twilight-inspired storytelling, and night time navigation using the stars.
The UV fungi walk, led by Lucy Cuzzocrea of Wild Roots Foraging, will reveal a fascinating multi-coloured night time world in woodland, where fungi and insects emit bioluminescence. Armed with special UV torches, people will be able to glimpse nature’s neon colours as Lucy explains the various scientific theories behind them.
The silent disco takes place outside the Nature and Star Hub at Sutton Bank as York St John University’s The Long Dead Stars perform tracks from their new album, The Dark Core inspired by the night sky and the cosmos.
At Danby Lodge National Park Centre there’s a family storytelling evening at the Dark Skies Station with local actor Bidi Iredale as twilight falls; while at Sutton Bank National Park Centre a dusking session will build on this February’s introduction of the ancient Dutch ritual, where a soundtrack helps people to use dusk as a time to reflect and find peace.
Sociable walking group Yorkie Talkies Outdoors is holding several events including one in Ashes Wood near Helmsley; while Walk Yorkshire has a number of night walks in atmospheric places such as the Hole of Horcum where people can learn how to use the stars for navigation. Cyclists can also head to Sutton Bank for a repeat of last year’s 65km night gravel bike ride.
There will be a host of stargazing events at locations such as Ampleforth Abbey, Danby and Sutton Bank; and a winter owl evening at the National Centre for Birds of Prey.
To mark Halloween, there’s also an array of spooky events including the North Yorkshire Moors Railway’s immersive Mad Alice’s ghost train; a haunted hotel Murder Mystery evening with a 3-course meal at Danby Lodge National Park Centre; the Cosmic Wonders ‘Halloween in Space’ afternoon at Guisborough; and ghost walks at Robin Hood’s Bay.
Vicky Burton, Marketing Officer at the North York Moors National Park comments: “There’s a perception that nature goes to sleep as soon as darkness falls but as the Festival will show, there’s a lot of nightlife out there waiting to be discovered. Plus, one of the strong themes of this year’s Fringe event is showing how people can get out safely after dark to enjoy the wellbeing benefits of standing under a pristine night sky.”
For more information including booking details and pricing go to www.darkskiesnationalparks.org.uk
