There’s a star party going on but it has nothing to do with famous entertainers. To attend this party, you’ll need bug repellent and binoculars. Liz Garst is the manager of Garst Farm Resorts in Coon Rapids. She says it’s “one of the darkest places in Iowa,” and it has guided star tours a couple weekends every months, but this week it hosts a special event for astronomers. There’s a big “star field” in a very dark spot, and they’ll bring in telescopes and have activities and programs just for astronomers, but Friday night they invite members of the public to look at the stars and moon, for free. Some 30 registered guests are all astronomers, but at last year’s first-ever event, around 150 people showed up for the public viewing. Dark skies are getting to be scarce in Iowa, she says, but the farm lies halfway between Des Moines and Omaha, the brightest spots around, and they’ve talked with neighbors about shielding their yard lights so the “bright spots” are gone and it’s a really dark area. The Garst Farm Resort is located on 4500 acres on the middle fork of the Raccoon River, and has everything from a farmhouse that can hold family reunions to bed-and-breakfast cottages, tent camping, horseback riding and more. For details and more on the “:star party” surf to www.farmresort-dot-com
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