Jasper Dark Sky Festival
The Jasper Dark Sky Festival takes place October 16–25, 2026, in Jasper, Alberta, Canada, inside Jasper National Park’s Dark Sky Preserve — the second-largest in the world and the largest one accessible by road, since an actual town sits within its borders. Presented by Rocky Mountaineer and hosted by science journalist Niki Wilson, the ten-day festival blends live music, expert-led talks, family programming, and world-class stargazing across venues throughout the townsite and park. October also happens to be Dark Sky Month in Jasper, so the festival anchors a full month of astronomy-focused events, with a real shot at spotting the Northern Lights on clear nights.
Highlights include:
A free outdoor concert from Bahamas on October 24, and Symphony Under the Stars on October 17, where the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra String ensemble performs beneath the night sky at the Jasper Park Lodge — bring a blanket. Astronomy fans can step inside the Slooh Airstream Experience, a traveling astronomy hub offering remote telescope demonstrations and interactive conversations about the cosmos, running daily throughout the festival. Families can visit the Kids Space Station at the Visitor Experience Centre to pick up a Dark Sky Explorer Activity Book, complete challenges, and earn an official Explorer badge and certificate. The festival mixes free and ticketed events, including guided hikes, science talks, and photography workshops, with the full lineup released closer to the dates on the festival’s events page.
How to prepare:
October in Jasper runs cool, with highs around 15°C and lows dropping to about -5°C, so pack warm layers — mitts, scarves, and a toque are worth the extra suitcase space. If you’re hoping to photograph the night sky, know that a phone camera generally won’t capture it well — a camera capable of long exposures, a tripod, and some basic night-photography technique go a long way. Book accommodations early, as the festival draws visitors from across the region, and check the events page ahead of your trip since detailed 2026 event listings and ticketing are still being finalized.
