Orchard After Dark: Stargazing & Cider 🔭⭐️

Some nights are worth getting out of the city for.

WEATHER AND SKY PERMITTING

Join us as we head into North Carolina’s darker skies for an evening that’s part road trip, part cider tasting, and part (free) astronomy experience. We’ll meet at James Creek Cider House, about 50 minutes from Raleigh, surrounded by orchards and wide-open skies.

Don’t just make it an evening…make it an adventure. Spend the afternoon exploring the area, taking the scenic route, discovering a local coffee shop, hiking, antiquing, or grabbing dinner before we all meet up at the cidery.

🍻James Creek crafts traditional ciders from Southern heirloom apples grown in North Carolina, and its orchard setting feels like it was made for slowing down and watching the sun disappear.

Once darkness settles in (8pm approx), the magic begins. Members of the Raleigh Astronomy Club will have professional telescopes set up throughout the property, inviting us to explore the Moon, planets, star clusters, and distant galaxies while sharing the stories behind what we’re seeing. Whether it’s your first time looking through a telescope or your hundredth, there’s something pretty incredible about seeing the universe with your own eyes. ✨

Bring your sense of wonder. It’s not every weekend you get to sip local cider in an orchard while gazing millions of years into the past.