SALISBURY — Rowan Public Library will host the NC Statewide Star Party on Friday, April 8 from 6-9 p.m., at the Frank T. Tadlock South Rowan Regional Library, located at 920 Kimball Road in China Grove.

RPL’s Star Party is an official event of the 2022 North Carolina Science Festival, presented by the Biogen Foundation. This year’s NC Statewide Star Party theme, “Understanding the Universe,” features a focus on science and engineering related to NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope.

The RPL Star Party will include hands-on science experiments, outdoor yoga, telescopes for viewing the night sky, drone demonstrations, an escape room and more. After the sun sets, participants will gather outside for a guided tour of the night sky led by Horizons Unlimited’s Neil Pifer. The event is free and open to the public. 

In addition to RPL’s Star Party, the library will also host a variety of other science and space-themed programs for patrons of all ages to enjoy throughout April. Each RPL location will host a Constellations scavenger hunt in their buildings.

Patrons also have the opportunity to register for a free NC Science Festival Take Away Kit packed full of fun experiments and NCSciFest goodies while supplies last.

All RPL locations will host STEAM Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for children. Each location will have a new hands-on activity available in their children’s library spaces each week. 

RPL East, located at 110 Broad St. in Rockwell, and RPL Headquarters, located at 201 W. Fisher St. in Salisbury, will each host a special Starry Night Storytime program for children. Each program will feature space-themed stories under the indoor stars, games, crafts and more. RPL East’s Starry Night Storytime will be from 6-7 p.m. on Monday, April 11, and RPL Headquarters’ storytime will be from 6-7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 13.

RPL West, located at 201 School St. in Cleveland, will host a special Night Sky Theater program from 7-8:30 p.m. on Friday, April 22. At this free event, participants will enjoy outdoor storytelling, yoga under the stars and guided night sky viewing sessions. STEAM activities will be available indoors. 

On Monday, April 25 at 6 p.m., adult patrons are invited to RPL South to participate in a special NCSciFest edition of the Pinterest Club crafting program. Attendees will learn how to create a galaxy-inspired pour painting. Registration is required for this free program as space is limited. Contact RPL South at 704-216-7727 to sign up for a spot in the class. 

“If you would have told me in 2019 that a global pandemic would impact the next three planning cycles of our statewide festival, I would have assumed I’d be looking for another job,” says Jonathan Frederick, director of the North Carolina Science Festival. “But the reality is, people love science so much that we couldn’t stop this celebration if we wanted to.” 

The North Carolina Science Festival is presented by Biogen Foundation and produced by Morehead Planetarium and Science Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. For more information, go to https://ncsciencefestival.org/.

To learn more about the Star Party or any other NCSciFest programs happening at Rowan Public Library, or to request accommodations needed to attend a program, call 980-432-8670 to connect with your preferred RPL location.