On September 26, 2009 in the Central Park of Krasnoyarsk the first citywide Festival of
Sidewalk Astronomy was held, we decided to carry on with the 100 Hours and hold another event in the fall. We are not afraid
to say that it was definitely Siberia’s and possibly Russia's first such event, which was attended by over a thousand
people.
The event was widely supported and sponsored by The General Department of Culture of Krasnoyarsk,
Siberian Federal University, Siberian Aerospace University, city administration, and the APEBEPA Realty Company. Central Park
provided a specially equipped area for this momentous event. Various associations of amateur astronomers were active participants
in the festival as were members of several other community organizations. The event was widely covered in the media.
For
the first time residents of the city were able to get closely acquainted with a new kind of leisure activity – the amateur
astronomy; and experienced amateur astronomers were ready to share their knowledge. The purpose of this event was to
attract new people to astronomy with the hopes they will take it up as a hobby. We also made other kinds of activities and
recreation available to citizens.
The event kicked off with a performance by a children’s
dance ensemble and the high energy of these hip hop dances really livened things up!
The
program included:
∙Telescope exhibition,
organized by local dealers of Russian and foreign telescopes and accessories,
∙ Exhibition of amateur astronomy photographs,
∙ master classes on various topics, including "How to build a telescope with your own
hands".
∙ Children's contests of
connoisseurs of space,
∙ Voting among
the participants about the need to complete the construction in the city a planetarium,
∙ Quiz on knowledge of astronomy facts open to everyone (winners received gifts)
∙ Demonstration of promotional films about the telescopes,
as well as the famous film "Hubble's View of the Universe".
And finally, at nightfall we did public observing through
many telescopes.
