2026 Winter Star Party
February 16th - February 22nd, 2026
Registration will open on or about October 1st, 2025.
PLEASE NOTE BELOW, VERY IMPORTANT CHANGE TO THE GLAM TENTS
Have a look at this blog post from AstroBackYard.
Astrophotographers and social media influencer's both, Trevor Jones and Ashley Northcotte made the trip to WSP for the first time.
What follows are the details of their experience with us and we thank them for the kind words.
Trevor and Ashley made the trip to WSP for the 2nd year. Watch Trevor's WSP adventure with the Boogeyman Nebula.
Registration
Scroll down near the bottom of the registration page for the registration form or click the link below:
Welcome back!!
Here at Southern Cross, we are very excited to welcome you back to one of the premiere star parties on the planet.
How has your year been? Any new scopes, eyepieces or cameras? We are very excited to see you all!!
Planning is underway and we will update this page regularly.
NEW FOR 2026
Camp Wesumkee
We will be setting up a tent with multiple charging stations so you will be able to charge your batteries up during the daytime.
Charlie Parillo, long time host coordinator of the WSP is retiring his position. We will be welcoming SCAS member, Raul Vergara as our new host.
We will also be bringing on a new vendor coordinator. Vendor coordinator, Russ Brick will be passing ohis duties as well.
Pease welcome our new vendor coordinator, SCAS member, Richard Wright.
Southern Cross Astronomical Society is grateful to have both Raul and Richard as members of our club and we thank them for volunteering to carry on this fine and wonderful tradition the Winter Star Party has become.
As usual, we will have an excellent lineup of speakers and a few activities for you to participate in and enjoy. Along with the Beachwalk and Laser Tour, we will
once again have SCAS member, and commercial pilot, Martin Caminos returning to present his evening talk: An Introduction to Celestial Navigation
We will be adding a few new "friends" to our lineup of vendors this year. Along with Explore Scientific,
first time vendors Woodland Hills Camera and Telescopes, ZWO Optics , Spectrum Optics / Telescopes, and StellarVue will be bringing all the things you forgot and all the latest products that you've been wanting.
Everything has remained essentially the same at both camps. Rustic camping with no facilities or power at Wesumkee.
The Boys Scouts did erect a new bunk house for staff but it has no impact on the star party. All facilities remain on Camp Sawyer.
More details are below. The information that follows is essentially the same as last year but we leave it as such for our new guests who have never been to the star party.
This Page will be updated continually.
KITCHEN THIRTEEN 33 IS BACK!
If you were with us in 2025, you will remember our new food vendor, KITCHEN 1333.
They will once again be bringing us their excellent line up of culinary delights. Menu and pre-orders
Kitchen Thirteen 33
The Winter Star Party is a highly anticipated event for astronomy lovers, providing a unique opportunity to stargaze in one of the best locations for dark skies. The event takes place annually, attracting participants from all over, and this year’s Winter Star Party will be held at Camp Wesumkee and Camp Sawyer. The official entry to the grounds will begin on Monday, February 16th.
For those staying at Camp Wesumkee, the gates will open at 10 am for RV campers, allowing them to set up and get settled in early. Tent campers will have access starting at 12 pm, ensuring everyone has ample time to prepare their campsites and enjoy the beauty of the starry night. This staggered entry allows for a smooth flow of attendees and avoids congestion on the grounds, setting the stage for a relaxed experience.
For those staying at Camp Sawyer, entry is scheduled for 10 am for everyone, regardless of whether they are staying in a Glam Tent or tent camping. This ensures a unified entry process for all participants at Camp Sawyer and encourages everyone to be settled in for the evening’s stargazing activities. With the Winter Star Party’s rich schedule of events and programs, attendees will have plenty of opportunities to learn about the cosmos and enjoy some incredible celestial sights.
As with last year and moving forward, there will be no ticket or camping fees for your children under 16.
Post Storm Update
Hurricane season is just beginning so at this time there has been no damage to either camp. We will post all updates here and on the WSP Facebook page
Post Star Party Update
If you attended last year's star party, you know the condition were incredible and we can only hope to see the same conditions this year. Bribes have already been sent to the astronomy gods........;-).
Site Visit Update
We have not had our first visual site inspection this year.
When we do, this is were you will find that information. So Stay tuned................
COVID Announcement
Dear WSP Attendee, Some of you may be concerned about COVID and whether we will enforce masks and ask for proof of vaccination. We are not in the position to enforce either masks or vaccinations. We ask that you observe all state and federal protocols with regard to Covid-19 and its variants. We do expect our attendees to be mindful of each other and respect their decision about whether they are vaccinated and/or decide on wearing a mask. We are here to enjoy looking at our favorite southern celestial objects like we have been doing for the past 41 years! Stay Safe and Be Well.
Tim Khan,
Winter Star Party Director
The Winter Star Party is famous for the "steady air" over that portion of the keys.
Bortle 3 skies with an average SQM of 21.76 are a treat for astrophotographers and observers alike. Bortle Dark-Sky Scale
Click anywhere in the map to see the sky conditions.
Light Pollution Map
WEATHER
Sunny days in the 70s and cool, calm nights in the 60s makes for a wonderful experience under the stars.
Take a look at the local weather on Big Pine Key.
You will receive the details of your arrival time along with your tickets.
We will again reach out to the church in Big Pine to see if you can use their parking lot for your RVs on Sunday night.
Your parking arrangement will be with the church staff. The number to the church is 305-872-2470. Ask for Geri.
Now for a little about the 2 camps.........
Camp Wesumkee
Since Hurricane Irma struck in 2017 and severely damaged Camp Wesumkee, no significant attempts have been made to restore the facility. As a result, the camp now operates in a rustic state, with only Port-o-Lets available for sanitation. There is no power across the campgrounds except in the vendor area, where power is provided solely for the vendors, and at Kitchen Thirteen33, where electricity supports the kitchen operations. This minimalist setup keeps the camp in line with its rustic ethos, but it also limits the amenities available to campers.
In light of the camp's ongoing challenges with power, we’ve adjusted our procedures to allow small, quiet generators (below 65 decibels) to run 24 hours a day. This change is aimed at providing campers with a reliable source of electricity, while still respecting the camp’s tranquil environment. The introduction of these generators helps ensure a more comfortable experience for attendees who need power for lights, charging devices, or other essentials during their stay.
Parking is the same as always, you may park in proximity to your campsite as long as you are not setting your equipment up on the berm. For all you first-timers, the "berm" is an area adjacent to the shoreline where we only allow telescopes to be set up so everyone behind the berm can enjoy the southeastern horizon. There is no vehicle traffic allowed after 7 pm and all vehicles parked near the berm must be removed by the same time.
Our Vendor area will be here as well, straight across from Kitchen Thirteen 33. We are expecting reps from Explore Scientific, Daystar Filters, just to name a few.
Camp Sawyer
Camp Sawyer belongs to the Boy Scouts. All bathroom and shower facilities are on Sawyer. 10 private showers and 10 private stalls.
Access from Camp Wesumkee to Camp Sawyer is thru a pass on the west end of Wesumkee. There is no vehicle traffic permitted on the pass or on Camp Sawyer, so you must walk to the showers.
During the day you may also drive to Sawyer on the highway but please remember that if you go late afternoon, give yourself enough time to get back to the park on Wesumkee before 7 pm otherwise, you will have to leave your car on the road. As advertised, the Glam Tents are on Sawyer. Tent camping is available on Camp Sawyer in limited numbers and we only have enough parking spaces to accommodate 75 cars, Glamping or tenting. Once that number is reached Camp Sawyer will be turned off from the registration system and we will accept no more requests there. To accommodate that many cars, no trailers or RVs are allowed on Camp Sawyer. Camp Sawyer will also have electricity throughout the camp thru extension cords and plug stations. Be aware that you should have a 100-foot extension cord with you to be sure you are within reach of a plug.
Glam Tents will be configured the same as last year. Six tents will have 2 larger beds in the main room with the 2 sets of bunk beds in the small room.
3 tents will have 1 queen size bed (to be occupied by a couple) in the main room and the 2 metal bunk bed in the small room.
Each person will occupy one set of bunk beds. You may sleep in the lower bunk and stow your gear in the upper bunk.
The Speaker presentations will be on Sawyer in an open-air venue under the bath house.
We are planning to have between 6 & 9 speakers this year.
The finalized list will be available below.
Some of you have asked us for an aerial map of Camp Sawyer so that you can see the numbers on the glam tents. Please go to the link below.
The tents are numbered 1 through 11 from right to left entering the camp. Only tents one through nine are available for registrants. Camp Sawyer
AS WITH LAST YEAR, THE BOYS SCOUTS WILL BE ALLOWING YOU TO DRIVE OUT TO WHERE YOU WILL BE CAMPING ON CAMP SAWYER. ALL VEHICLES MUST OBEY THE 5 MILE PER HOUR SPEED LIMIT WHILE ON THE FIELD. YOU MUST UNLOAD YOUR GEAR AND MOVE YOUR VEHICLE TO THE PARKING LOT BEFORE SETTING UP YOUR CAMP. NO MORE WHEELBARROWS!
PLEASE NOTE, VERY IMPORTANT CHANGE TO THE GLAM TENTS.
Tents 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 now accommodate 4 people
2 wooden, full sized (bunk) beds in the main room and 2 metal sets in the smaller side room.
The bunks are numbered as follows: Bunks 3 & 4 are in the main room and are wood. Bunks 1 & 2 are still in the small room off to the side of the main room.
Each person will occupy one set of bunk beds. You will sleep in the lower bunk and stow your gear in the upper bunk.
Tents 7, 8, and 9 have been changed, still accommodating 4 people but will have only 3 bunks.
Bunk 3 is actually 1 wooden queen size bed set in the main room, to be occupied by couples.
To select bunk 3. 2 guests must be registered and you will automatically be charged for 2 bunks.
Speakers Daily Schedule 2026
Tuesday 2/17
Wednesday 2/18
Thursday 2/19
Vendors:
This list will be updated as conformations come in.
Explore Scientific
Daystar Filters
Woodland Hills Camera and Telescope
ZWO
Spectrum Optics / Telescopes
StellarVue
Manufacturers:
This list will be updated as conformations come in.
Cha-Ching :
As always, we will have some fantastic door prizes to give away on Friday.
Please remember that you must be present at the drawing on Friday morning to be eligible to win a prize.
Please be reminded that on Sunday Feb. 22n, all camp sites and vehicles must be off of both camps by 10 AM.
Have a look at the 2023 star party here.....................
2023 Winter Star Party Recap
Stay tuned for further information.
If there is anything you need to discuss with us or issues with your registration please send an email to wsp@scas.org
Thank you again for your patronage and please stay safe and healthy. 2025 WSP Registration Sincerely,
Tim Khan, Director
Winter Star Party
Russ Brick, President
Southern Cross Astronomical Society