2024 Solstice
Lantern Walk
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Solstice Walk video thanks to videographer Bill Carnahan and video editor Eric Gollinger!
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Our route follows the model solar system. Have you seen the planet markers?
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Tired of the dark already?
Help us light up the longest night of the year!
Join us for Longview's annual Solstice Lantern Walk Through the Solar System. We'll follow the model solar system given to the City of Longview by Friends of Galileo in 2001. It's on the west side of Lake Sacajawea (map below).
Bring some light and cheer to the longest night of the year, and celebrate the return of longer days. Meet some of the small organizations that make Longview a great place to live! They will light up their planet markers. What can you do?
Let’s celebrate the return of longer days, and warm up the start of winter by meeting new friends!
Help us light up the longest night of the year!
Join us for Longview's annual Solstice Lantern Walk Through the Solar System. We'll follow the model solar system given to the City of Longview by Friends of Galileo in 2001. It's on the west side of Lake Sacajawea (map below).
Bring some light and cheer to the longest night of the year, and celebrate the return of longer days. Meet some of the small organizations that make Longview a great place to live! They will light up their planet markers. What can you do?
- Bring the family.
- Dress for the weather.
- Bring headlamps and balloon lanterns and flashlights.
- Look for Santa!
Let’s celebrate the return of longer days, and warm up the start of winter by meeting new friends!
- Get your free solar system passport stamped as you reach each planet.
- Vote for the best planet.
- Submit your photo of the event.
Details
Where: meet at the marker for the Sun, south end of Lake Sacajawea Park. Walk at your own pace to the marker for Pluto 1.64 miles north (or 3.7 billion miles, according to our model!)
When: 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM on Saturday, December 21, 2024.
Cost: free!
Space Shuttle: round trip too long? No problem! We'll arrange our popular space shuttles for a quick drive between the Sun and Pluto. (Thank you, Afifi Shriners, for generously providing a vehicle and driver again!).
Weather: dress as appropriate for rain or cold. The weather won't stop us.
Restrooms: Portapotties on the path near Jupiter and Sacajawea (see map below). Park restrooms should be open through the event over the footbridge (Kessler side, at Hemlock north of the playground).
Changes: check here from time to time for updates, or check our Facebook page. We're working with the City of Longview and participating groups to arrange this awesome event, and details will evolve.
Lighted Kayak Parade
Our friends at Cowlitz River Kayakers really added to our past celebrations with a lighted kayak parade at the same time as our Solstice Lantern Walk.
World's longest fun run - 3.7 billion miles!
Our 2023 Fun Run was a big hit!
Our route: is from the Sun (south end of Lake Sacajawea) to Pluto (north end). That's 3.7 billion miles, scaled down to Lake Sacajawea.
Fun run hosted by: our friends at Cowlitz Valley Runners. Find them on Facebook or on their website.
Where: meet at the marker for the Sun, south end of Lake Sacajawea Park. Walk at your own pace to the marker for Pluto 1.64 miles north (or 3.7 billion miles, according to our model!)
When: 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM on Saturday, December 21, 2024.
Cost: free!
Space Shuttle: round trip too long? No problem! We'll arrange our popular space shuttles for a quick drive between the Sun and Pluto. (Thank you, Afifi Shriners, for generously providing a vehicle and driver again!).
Weather: dress as appropriate for rain or cold. The weather won't stop us.
Restrooms: Portapotties on the path near Jupiter and Sacajawea (see map below). Park restrooms should be open through the event over the footbridge (Kessler side, at Hemlock north of the playground).
Changes: check here from time to time for updates, or check our Facebook page. We're working with the City of Longview and participating groups to arrange this awesome event, and details will evolve.
Lighted Kayak Parade
Our friends at Cowlitz River Kayakers really added to our past celebrations with a lighted kayak parade at the same time as our Solstice Lantern Walk.
World's longest fun run - 3.7 billion miles!
Our 2023 Fun Run was a big hit!
Our route: is from the Sun (south end of Lake Sacajawea) to Pluto (north end). That's 3.7 billion miles, scaled down to Lake Sacajawea.
Fun run hosted by: our friends at Cowlitz Valley Runners. Find them on Facebook or on their website.
Planetary sponsors
Here are our 2023 sponsors - we hope they'll all return for our 2024 event!
- The Sun - Friends of Galileo Astronomy Club (friendsofgalileo.com)
- Mercury - Santa !
- Venus - Girl Scouts of Western Washington (girlscoutsww.org)
- Earth - Three Rivers Christian School (3riversschool.net)
- Mars - Shinju Dojo Aikido (shinjudojo.com)
- Jupiter - Freemasons of Cowlitz County (freemasoncowlitz.org)
- Europa - Bethel #65 of Job's Daughters, located in Kelso (joinjobies.org)
- Saturn - Cowlitz Coin Club (Cowlitz Coin Club on Facebook)
- Uranus - Scouts BSA, Cascade Pacific Council (cpcbsa.org)
- Sacajawea - Kelso-Longview Chamber of Commerce (kelsolongviewchamber.org)
- (We know Sacajawea isn't a planet, but it's her park and we think she'd like to participate.)
- Neptune - Lower Columbia School Gardens (lcschoolgardens.org)
- Comet Swift-Tuttle - Columbia River Reader (crreader.com)
- Pluto - Longview Public Library (longviewlibrary.org)
We are talking with other groups and will update this page when they confirm participation. Who do you think would be a great sponsor? Let us know!
How can you make this a great event?
We're a small club and we'd appreciate organizational help. Check our info page for volunteers.
Check our info page for sponsors if your group would like to sponsor a planet. We have plenty of room!
Contact Friends of Galileo with your name, contact info, and how you'd like to help. Thanks!
Thank you for your support!
We can't put this event together ourselves! In addition to the sponsors listed above...
The Afifi Shriners provided our Space Shuttle, a van to take you back to the start if the return trip is too much for your group. Copies Today has been a huge help with our Solstice Walk passports every year. The Daily News did a great job helping us get the word out about the event. Thank you, Fibre Federal Credit Union for your generous financial support! And thanks for the coffee and hot chocolate, Red Leaf Coffee! Thanks, everyone! |
Past Solstice Lantern Walks
In 2018, we had our first annual Solstice Lantern Walk from the Sun to Pluto. What a great event! We had clear skies, a full moon, and over 500 people walked the route. We even had Santa!
In 2019 and 2021 we had more community groups take part, and more than half the route - more than half a mile! - was lined with luminaria to light your way through the solar system.
In 2018, we had our first annual Solstice Lantern Walk from the Sun to Pluto. What a great event! We had clear skies, a full moon, and over 500 people walked the route. We even had Santa!
In 2019 and 2021 we had more community groups take part, and more than half the route - more than half a mile! - was lined with luminaria to light your way through the solar system.
- Check out the 2018 Highlights
- Check out the 2019 Highlights
- 2020 event cancelled due to COVID-19
- Check out the 2021 Highlights
- Check out the 2022 Highlights
- Check out the 2023 Highlights
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