Star parties are great fun!  They are excellent places to learn about astronomy. You have lots of different telescopes to see and see through, plus lots of other amateur astronomers to talk with and share experiences. There are a wide variety of events to choose from, some farther in the boondocks than others.

If you're thinking about going to a star party, but you're not sure, by all means give it a go! There are all kinds of people at these things, but 99.9% of them share the common trait of being super-friendly. I'd suggest that you try one of the less rustic venues when you're just starting out, unless you are the camping type.

Wisconsin Star Parties

Horicon Marshfest: Very informal gathering of locals who do a weekend campout at Ledge Park near Horicon, WI. Its a Dodge County park with limited facilities, but it's 2 minutes away from town so it's not a big deal. Held on New Moon weekend in May.

Wisconsin Observers Weekend: This is a wonderfully low-key star party put on by the Northeast Wisconsin Stargazers. Held at Hartmann Creek State Park near Waupaca, it combines pretty dark skies with a nice family camping environment (complete with hot showers). Held on New Moon weekend in June.

Northwoods Starfest: This is a very nicely-appointed star party just east of Eau Claire. Sponsored by the Chippewa Valley Astronomical Society, this event takes place on the grounds of the Hobbs Observatory, the adjacent Youth Camp and the Nature Center, all of which are part of the Beaver Creek Reserve. You can stay in the heated cabins, take hot showers in the bath house, and eat the excellent meals in the mess hall. The twin-domed observatory boasts a 24-inch reflector and a 14-inch SCT, as well as a large common area for the midnight snacks, sci-fi videos, and vendor tables. Held on New Moon weekend in August.

The camping is only one aspect of the experience at Northwoods Starfest.

Far And Away...

Nebraska Star Party: Held at Merritt Reservoir in north central Nebraska. What's out there except for the lake? Nothing! That's the point – extremely dark skies. There is a "resort" that consists of a gas station/bait shop, a few cabins for rent, and a nice restaurant with downstairs lounge. Unfortunately, the observer's campground is 5 miles away, around the other side of the lake...which adds a little extra back-and-forth driving. The NSP is held during the New Moon in July.

Drew and Tom from Eagle Optics hang out and sell stuff at the Nebraska Star Party.

Astrofest: Steeped in tradition, Astrofest is as much of an open-air telescope and astronomy jamboree as it is an observing event. While the skies aren't particularly dark, they are good enough to test homemade optics and work on your Messier list. By far one of the biggest attractions of Astrofest is the "Astro-Swap Flea Market," arguably the biggest astronomy marketplace in the country! With attendance reaching into the 1500-person range, this is definitely the astronomy event for the Midwest. I've been going almost every year since I was in high school, and I highly recommend it. Astrofest is held Thursday through Sunday in September.

Great Plains Star Party: We're talking Starmaster country! The setting is absolutely perfect: privately owned land, catered food, on-site showers and a nice bunkhouse hosting a bottomless coffee pot. The only light pollution is a small light dome from far-away Kansas City to the north...but if you're FROM the north, you won't even notice! We're talking gosh-wow views of southern objects, because the latitude is in the 37-degree range. M22 takes it rightful place as king of the northern hemisphere globular clusters, and the Swan Nebula is absolutely stunning. It was at this event that I first saw color in the Orion Nebula, and spotted the Horsehead. For the Horsehead, I borrowed an H-Beta filter from a friend who was showing the California Nebula in his Astroscan! Since the "Starmaster factory" is only an hour away, there are lots of big scopes to look at and look through. GPSP is held in late September or early October, during the first New Moon week after Astrofest.