Southwest Astronomy Festival
Three free days of lectures, star parties, solar viewing, and a portable planetarium at Cedar Breaks, Sept. 11-13, 2026.
The Southwest Astronomy Festival runs September 11-13, 2026, with programs presented jointly by Cedar Breaks National Monument and Zion National Park. Every program is free and open to the public, and the weekend mixes daytime and nighttime events: lectures, star parties, activities at the Ashcroft Observatory, traditional storytelling, a portable planetarium, and solar viewing. Cedar Breaks sits 25 miles southeast of Cedar City on Highway 148 at over 10,000 feet, which is why it anchors the festival's night-sky programming. For Duck Creek Village Inn guests this is the single best dark-sky weekend of the year and only about 30 minutes away, close enough to drive up for a night session and be back in bed on the mountain.
What to know before you go
- Southwest Astronomy Festival is part of our outdoor event coverage for Southern Utah.
- It is tied to Cedar City, which helps guests compare drive time and choose the right basecamp.
- Check the official event source for late schedule changes before you head out.
- Save Cedar Breaks National Monument, Cedar Breaks in your map app before you leave Duck Creek or cross the parks corridor.
Plan the rest of the stay
Event days work best when the drive, weather, and overnight setup are already settled. Use these quick planning pages before you lock in the trip.
August 2026
Current details and official links
We use this page to make event day planning faster for Duck Creek guests, but organizer details can change. Cross-check the official source, ticket page, and map before you drive.