Fountain Hills Dark Sky Association (FHDSA) announced that the Town of Fountain Hills under its Arizona Office of Tourism – Visit Arizona Initiative – Marketing Grant has awarded it $25,000 to help underwrite the 2023 Fountain Hills Dark Sky Festival. The funds will be used for securing a keynote speaker and providing a signature main attraction for attendees during the Festival.

The Fountain Hills Dark Sky Festival is a signature event and celebration of the town’s certification as a Dark Sky Community, a recognition achieved by only seventeen communities worldwide.

In celebration, the Association has invited Paul Bogard to speak at this year’s event. Bogard is a writer, professor and author of “The End of Night,”a tribute to darkness and the night.

This grant award was a collaboration with the Town’s Economic Development Director, Amanda Jacobs, and is in alignment with the Town’s proposal for funds to spearhead its overall tourism activities in 2023.

The Town has been a supportive and active partner of the Dark Sky Association since 2017 in both securing and maintaining the Dark Sky Community certification.

The Fountain Hills Dark Sky Festival is scheduled for Saturday, March 25, at the Community Center and Centennial Circle beginning at 4 p.m. Featured events include keynote speakers, night sky exhibits, a student art contest and activities for the whole family.

After dark, telescopes will be set up for night sky viewing. A beer and wine garden along with food trucks will provide refreshments.