|
National Park ServiceNews Release For Immediate Release –March 16, 2016 Contact's Name:ERIC CAMPBELL (540) 868-0937 Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park Announces Star Gazing Parties Middletown, VA ----- Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park invites visitor s to view and learn about the nighttime sky through three Star Gazing Parties scheduled throughout 2016.These special National Park Service events, held in partnership with the Shenandoah Astronomical Society (SAS) and the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation, are scheduled for Saturday, April 2nd, Saturday, August 13th and Saturday, October 1st (rain date: October 29th).As part of the National Park Service's Centennial celebration this year, these programs encourage visitors to explore Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park in a variety of ways and to discover the night sky in a quiet and peaceful setting. All three programs will be held at the Thoburn Redoubt property, located on Bowman's Mill Road, in Warren County.This tract has been preserved by the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation and marks the location where the Battle of Cedar Creek began on October 19, 1864.The site will be marked by directional signage for each event. The Star Party will begin at 7:00 p.m. and are free of charge.Each program will include a short introduction by a park ranger, followed by an astronomical related program given by a member of the SAS.Visitors are welcomed to bring their own telescopes, or use the ones that will be provided by the Shenandoah Astronomical Society. The events on April 2nd and October 2nd will look at a variety of celestial features.The Star Party on August 13th is scheduled to coincide with the Perseid Meteor Shower, which results from debris stream associated with the comet Swift-Tuttle. Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park offers a wide variety of ranger-conducted programs, which tell the park's many stories related to the rich cultural history of the Shenandoah Valley and the American Civil War.These programs are offered regularly. Check the park website (www.nps.gov/cebe) or call (540) 869-3051 for a current schedule. ********************************* About Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park:Created on December 19, 2002, Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park encompasses approximately 3,700 acres across three counties and includes the key partner sites of Belle Grove Plantation (owned by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and managed by Belle Grove, Inc.), Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation, Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation, and a developing Shenandoah County Park. The partner sites continue to be owned and operated independently. The park commemorates a nationally significant Civil War landscape and antebellum plantation by sharing the story of Shenandoah Valley history from early settlement through the Civil War and beyond. The park is also located within the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District, a National Heritage Area. ��4=�J |
Last updated: April 22, 2022