Flagstaff to celebrate its adopted dwarf planet

  • 2023-01-31
One of the highlights in Flagstaff is the annual I Heart Pluto Festival coming in mid-February.

The kick-off event on February 15 will be the dedication of the hand-made telescope made by Clyde Tombaugh. The venue will be Mother Road Brewing Company, where a limited edition of beer created just for the current festival will be served.

Laser-guided stargazing, trivia, and science talks given by local educators will greet Pluto lovers and those taking the Pluto Pub Crawl as they enjoy a stroll through downtown Flagstaff.

On February 18, the fully functional handmade Tombaugh telescope will be unveiled in its at its permanent location in the Lowell Rotunda Museum.

That night, the Orpheum Theater will present A Night of Discovery. The guest speaker will be astronaut, space artist and aquanaut Nicole Stott. Kevin Schindler, Lowell Observatory historian, will discuss the observatory’s discovery of Pluto in 1930. Guests may then view art displays, enjoy Pluto-themed beer, and try their luck at axe-throwing.

The three-day festival from February 18 through 20 will be at the Lowell Observatory and will include science talks, Pluto tours, science demonstrations, and food trucks.

On February 19, Planetary Scientist Dr. Alan Stern will give a lecture on New Horizons After Pluto, and on February 20, an interview with Alice Bowman of Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory engineer will be broadcast on the observatory’s YouTube channel.

T shirts, baseball hats, and pajamas featuring the I Heart Pluto logo design are available online.