Nominate AstroTours.org for Outside’s 2027 Travel Awards

Outside is now accepting nominations for its 2027 Travel Awards, and we would be grateful for your help putting AstroTours.org in front of the editors as one of the adventure-travel companies and tour operators worth recognizing.

Outside says it is looking for the people, places, and companies making outdoor travel more inclusive, innovative, sustainable, and awesome, with a particular focus on travel that is nature-forward, active, adventurous, and immersed in the outdoors. Nominations close September 30, 2026 at 11:59 PM EDT.

Outside is accepting nominations for its 2027 Travel Awards through September 30, 2026.

Nominate AstroTours.org

Why we’re asking

AstroTours.org started in Colorado in 2018 with a simple idea: bring the observatory to the place people are already exploring. Instead of asking travelers to visit a fixed facility, our astronomers take professional telescopes into the landscapes where the sky itself becomes part of the destination.

That mobile-observatory model has grown into guided stargazing experiences across Colorado mountain communities and destinations, private tours, resort programs, weddings, conferences, school programs, festivals, community events, and destination-wide science experiences. Every program is built around the place, the people, and the sky that night.

In 2026, we expanded that approach further with daylight astronomy, solar observing, spectroscopy, and programs such as Science in Snowmass, while continuing to build the AstroTours.org Foundation to expand astronomy access for youth and underserved communities.

For us, stargazing is a form of outdoor travel. It gets people outside after dark, gives them a reason to look closely at the environment around them, and turns mountains, deserts, ranches, resorts, and dark-sky landscapes into places of discovery.

How to nominate AstroTours.org

Open Outside’s nomination page using the button below. If the form asks you to nominate a travel company or tour operator, enter AstroTours.org and describe why you think our astronomy experiences deserve recognition.

Open Outside’s 2027 Travel Awards Nomination Page

The most useful nominations are personal. If you have joined one of our tours, worked with us at a destination, attended a public program, or simply believe astronomy belongs in the adventure-travel conversation, tell Outside what stood out to you.

Need help writing your nomination?

You are welcome to use the sample below as a starting point. Please change anything you want and add your own experience if you have one.

Suggested nomination copy

AstroTours.org deserves recognition in Outside’s 2027 Travel Awards because it has built a distinctive form of outdoor adventure around the night sky. Since 2018, the Colorado-based company has brought professional telescopes and working astronomers directly to mountain destinations, communities, resorts, schools, private groups, and public events, turning stargazing into an expert-led travel experience rather than a passive add-on.

Its mobile-observatory model lets travelers experience astronomy where the sky is best and connects each program to the landscape and people in front of the telescope. Guests might learn about tides with a fishing group, the origin of gold at a wedding, the scale of planetary years with families, or how distant light lets us look back in time.

AstroTours.org is also expanding what astronomy tourism can include. In 2026 it grew daytime programs with solar telescopes and spectroscopy, helped deliver destination-scale science programming such as Science in Snowmass, and continued developing the AstroTours.org Foundation to broaden access for youth and underserved communities. The company’s work encourages dark-sky appreciation, science literacy, and a deeper relationship with the outdoor places people travel to experience.

AstroTours.org is helping define stargazing as a genuine adventure-travel experience: place-based, expert-led, accessible to beginners, and deeply connected to the natural world.

Shorter version

I’m nominating AstroTours.org because it has created a distinctive outdoor-travel experience around astronomy. Its mobile observatory brings professional telescopes and astronomers directly to Colorado destinations, allowing guests to experience the night sky in the landscapes they came to explore. AstroTours combines science, storytelling, dark-sky appreciation, and place-based interpretation, while expanding access through public programs, schools, daylight astronomy, and the AstroTours.org Foundation. It is helping make stargazing a meaningful part of adventure travel.

Ideas to make your nomination personal

• Describe a specific AstroTours experience you attended and what made it memorable.

• Mention the astronomer’s ability to make complex science understandable and relevant.

• Talk about seeing a planet, galaxy, nebula, star cluster, or the Milky Way through a telescope for the first time.

• Explain how the program changed the way you experienced the landscape or night sky.

• Mention the mobile-observatory model and the ability to bring professional astronomy directly to destinations and communities.

• Highlight AstroTours.org Foundation outreach, youth access, public programs, or dark-sky education if those matter to you.

• Use your own words. A short personal nomination can be more compelling than a long generic one.

The deadline

Outside’s public call for nominations says submissions are due September 30, 2026 at 11:59 PM EDT. The 2027 Travel Awards will be featured in print and online in Outside’s Spring 2027 issue.

If AstroTours has given you a memorable night under the stars, helped you understand the universe in a new way, or shown you that astronomy belongs alongside the best outdoor experiences, we would appreciate your nomination.

Nominate AstroTours.org for Outside’s 2027 Travel Awards

Science in Snowmass 2026: Stargazing, Ice Age Science & Astronomy in Snowmass Village

Science in Snowmass is bringing a full weekend of paleontology, climatology and astronomy to Snowmass Village on September 11–12, 2026. Built around the remarkable 2010–2011 Ice Age Discovery at Ziegler Reservoir, the event connects deep time beneath our feet with deep time overhead. AstroTours.org is joining the weekend with guided Snowmass stargazing through professional telescopes, first at Base Village for Stars & S’mores and then at Elk Camp for a high-elevation night under the stars.

Science in Snowmass brings paleontology, climatology and astronomy together across September 11–12, 2026.

What is Science in Snowmass?

Science in Snowmass is a two-day celebration of science and discovery in Snowmass Village, produced in partnership with the Aspen Science Center. The weekend is inspired by the Ice Age fossils uncovered during construction at Ziegler Reservoir in 2010 and 2011. Those discoveries turned Snowmass into an extraordinary place to talk about the past, the present and the future through paleontology, climate science and astronomy.

Across the weekend, visitors can explore Ice Age programs, Ziegler Reservoir tours, scientific presentations and conversations with regional experts. The astronomy portion extends that idea of deep time into the night sky: every telescope view is also a view into the past, because light takes time to travel across space.

The complete public schedule is available from GoSnowmass.

Friday: Stars & S’mores with AstroTours

Friday night’s Stars & S’mores program runs from 8:00–9:30 PM on the Snowmass Base Village Events Lawn and is free to attend. AstroTours astronomers will set up multiple professional telescopes and guide visitors through what is visible that evening.

Depending on sky conditions, guests may be able to observe star clusters, nebulae, galaxies, double stars and planets. The format is designed for questions and conversation, so visitors can move between telescopes, compare views and ask the astronomers about anything from how telescopes work to how far away an object is and how old the light is when it reaches Earth.

Free s’mores and hot chocolate add a very Snowmass way to spend an evening under the Colorado night sky.

Friday’s Stars & S’mores is free in Base Village. Saturday’s Snowmass Stargazing program heads up to Elk Camp.

Saturday: Snowmass Stargazing at Elk Camp

Saturday night moves the astronomy program higher into the mountains for Snowmass Stargazing at Elk Camp. The gondola opens at 5:30 PM, with guided stargazing beginning at 8:00 PM. The dedicated Aspen Snowmass event listing describes the program as an evening at roughly 10,000 feet under one of Colorado’s darkest skies.

Tickets are $32, children 10 and under are free, and gondola access is included. Dinner and drinks are available at Elk Camp Restaurant, and the Breathtaker Alpine Coaster operates earlier in the evening with a separate ticket. Guests should dress in layers because temperatures can drop quickly after sunset at elevation.

AstroTours uses professional telescopes and red-light observing practices to help preserve night vision.

Snowmass Stargazing Details & Tickets

What to expect from guided stargazing in Snowmass

A guided astronomy program is most useful when the telescope view comes with context. AstroTours astronomers identify the objects in the eyepiece, explain what makes them interesting and connect them to larger ideas in astronomy. A star cluster becomes a story about stellar evolution. A galaxy becomes a way to talk about distance and lookback time. A planet becomes a chance to compare another world with Earth.

That approach fits Science in Snowmass especially well. The event begins with evidence preserved in rock, sediment and fossils, then continues with evidence carried to us by light. Both tell stories about worlds that existed long before the present moment.

Why Snowmass is such a strong place for astronomy

Snowmass combines mountain elevation, access to darker skies and a community already shaped by a world-class scientific discovery. That makes it a natural place for an event that treats science as something you can experience directly rather than only read about.

For visitors searching for stargazing in Snowmass, Aspen Snowmass astronomy experiences or Colorado stargazing, the weekend is also a good introduction to what a guided telescope program can add to a mountain trip.

Professional telescopes make faint deep-sky objects and planetary detail accessible to guests during guided programs.

Science in Snowmass 2026 at a glance

• Dates: Friday, September 11 and Saturday, September 12, 2026

• Location: Snowmass Village, Colorado

• Friday astronomy: Stars & S’mores, 8:00–9:30 PM, Base Village Events Lawn, free

• Saturday astronomy: Snowmass Stargazing at Elk Camp, gondola from 5:30 PM, guided stargazing from 8:00 PM

• Saturday tickets: $32; children 10 and under free; gondola included

• Science themes: paleontology, climatology, Ice Age discovery, astronomy and deep time

Keep stargazing after Science in Snowmass

AstroTours.org leads guided astronomy and stargazing experiences across Colorado. If Science in Snowmass leaves you wanting another night at the telescope, you can book a Colorado stargazing tour or explore our guide to the Colorado Stargazing Trail and guided astronomy tours.

Book an AstroTour

Science in Snowmass FAQ

Is Science in Snowmass free?

Many Science in Snowmass programs are free, including Friday night’s Stars & S’mores astronomy session. Saturday’s gondola-access Snowmass Stargazing program at Elk Camp is ticketed at $32, with children 10 and under free.

Where is Friday night stargazing?

Friday’s Stars & S’mores astronomy program is on the Snowmass Base Village Events Lawn from 8:00–9:30 PM.

Where is Saturday night stargazing?

Saturday’s Snowmass Stargazing program is at Elk Camp. Gondola access begins at 5:30 PM and guided stargazing begins at 8:00 PM.

Do I need astronomy experience?

No. The AstroTours programs are designed for curious beginners, families and experienced skywatchers alike. Astronomers guide the observing and answer questions throughout the session.

Unique Event Entertainment: 15 Ideas Guests Will Actually Remember

The venue is booked. The food is planned. The guest list is taking shape. Now comes a harder question: what will people actually remember about the event?

The best unique event entertainment does more than fill a gap in the schedule. It gives guests something to discover, creates natural conversation and turns a gathering into a shared experience. It also fits the event instead of competing with it.

That might mean looking at Saturn through a telescope, watching an artist capture the celebration in real time or leaving with a poem written just for you. The right choice depends on your guests, venue and goals, but the most memorable ideas tend to have one quality in common: people can participate.

If you are planning a wedding, corporate retreat, conference, resort program, fundraiser, birthday or community celebration, these 15 ideas can help you find entertainment that feels genuinely different.

What Makes Event Entertainment Feel Unique?

Unique does not have to mean bizarre, complicated or expensive. It means the experience feels specific to the people and place.

Strong event entertainment usually does at least three things:

• It is easy to understand and join.

• It encourages interaction without forcing anyone to perform.

• It gives guests a story, photograph, creation or discovery to take with them.

• It works with the event schedule and venue.

• It appeals to more than one age group or personality type.

A loud stage act might be perfect for a high-energy awards night. A quiet, open-house experience may work better at a wedding reception or networking event. Start with the atmosphere you want to create, then choose the act or activity.

15 Unique Event Entertainment Ideas

1. Bring the Universe to Your Guests With Guided Stargazing

Most people have seen photographs of the Moon, Saturn and distant galaxies. Far fewer have looked through a real telescope and seen one with their own eyes.

A mobile stargazing experience brings telescopes and professional astronomers directly to your venue. Guests can explore the Moon's craters, planets when they are visible, double stars, star clusters, nebulae and galaxies. Astronomers can also lead a laser-guided tour of the constellations and answer everything from serious science questions to “Are we alone?”

Stargazing works especially well as interactive event entertainment because it can be structured in several ways. It can be a featured group program, a relaxed telescope lounge after dinner or a series of stations guests visit throughout the evening. People can stay for two minutes or become absorbed for half an hour.

It is also naturally conversation-friendly. Guests look through the telescope, react to what they see and immediately want to share it with someone else. At a daytime event, dedicated solar telescopes can offer safe, professionally supervised views of the Sun.

Best for: weddings, corporate retreats, conferences, resort events, family reunions, birthdays, festivals and community gatherings.

Planning note: Choose an outdoor area with a broad view of the sky and the ability to dim nearby lights. You do not always need a remote wilderness location. The Moon, planets and bright stars can still be fascinating near a city, while darker locations provide access to fainter deep-sky objects.

2. Hire a Roaming Magician or Mentalist

Close-up magic works in small bursts, making it ideal for cocktail hours, networking receptions and dinners with several courses. A skilled performer can move between groups instead of asking every guest to stop and face a stage. That makes the experience feel personal and gives strangers an easy reason to start talking.

Ask how the performer adapts the material for children, professional audiences or formal events. Good roaming entertainment should add energy without interrupting service or important conversations.

3. Invite a Live Event Painter or Illustrator

A live artist gives guests two forms of entertainment at once: the process of watching a piece develop and the finished work that remains after the event.

For weddings and galas, an artist might paint the full scene. At conferences or brand events, an illustrator can create quick portraits, fashion sketches or visual summaries of speakers and ideas. Decide whether you want one large keepsake, individual guest drawings or both.

4. Offer Custom Poems on Demand

A poet with a typewriter can turn a guest's word, memory or prompt into a short personalized poem. The writing process is quiet enough for a reception but unusual enough to attract attention.

This option is especially effective for intimate weddings, literary events, milestone celebrations and hospitality settings. Guests leave with something personal that does not feel like ordinary branded merchandise.

5. Build a Hands-On Maker Station

Give guests a simple project they can complete in 10 to 20 minutes. Depending on the event, that could include leather stamping, pearl-button making, flower arranging, candle decorating, simple printmaking or assembling a small keepsake.

The key is choosing a process with a low barrier to entry. The facilitator should handle specialized equipment and preparation so guests can focus on the satisfying part of making something.

6. Create a Live Customization Bar

Screen printing, embroidery, engraving, calligraphy and patch stations turn a useful item into part of the entertainment. Guests choose a design, watch it being applied and leave with a personalized memento.

For corporate events, keep the branding attractive enough that people will genuinely want to use the item. For private celebrations, offer a few designs connected to the location, hosts or theme.

7. Pair a Tasting With a Great Storyteller

A tasting becomes much more memorable when the host can tell the story behind each selection. Consider local chocolate, coffee, tea, cheese, wine, spirits or nonalcoholic drinks.

Short, rotating tastings fit naturally into receptions and resort programs. They also work well for mixed groups when there are thoughtful alcohol-free and dietary options. The entertainment comes from discovery, not simply consumption.

8. Bring in a Mobile Mystery or Escape Challenge

Portable puzzle experiences give teams a shared objective without requiring a permanent escape-room venue. Guests might solve a tabletop mystery, examine clues hidden around the event or complete a sequence of timed challenges.

This is a strong choice for company retreats and conferences because collaboration happens naturally. Ask the provider how many people can participate at once and whether guests can join in waves.

9. Stage a Live Game Show

A professional host, buzzers and a custom question set can transform familiar trivia into a polished event. Questions can include company history, facts about the destination or playful details submitted by guests before the event.

Game shows are best when participation is voluntary and the humor is inclusive. Build teams so no one person has to carry the performance, and keep the competitive portion short enough to maintain momentum.

10. Make One Collaborative Work of Art

Instead of individual crafts, ask everyone to contribute to a shared piece. Guests can add color to a mural, place tiles in a mosaic, write wishes on an installation or help assemble a sculpture.

This gives large groups a visible sense of collective ownership. It can be especially meaningful at fundraisers, employee celebrations, school events and community gatherings if the finished piece has a permanent home.

11. Add a Silent Disco

A silent disco lets guests choose between music channels through wireless headphones. From across the room, the dance floor looks almost calm. Inside the headphones, everyone is having a completely different experience.

It can help venues manage sound limits and gives guests more control over volume and musical style. Include a comfortable area where people can remove their headphones and talk.

12. Use an Interactive Light or Projection Installation

Projection mapping, responsive light walls and digital art can change as guests move, speak or touch a surface. These installations can become both entertainment and part of the visual design.

Ask the production team to explain the lighting, power, weather and setup requirements early. The technology should respond quickly and intuitively. If guests need a long explanation before they can use it, the installation may become scenery rather than an experience.

13. Teach One Approachable Dance

A 15-minute dance lesson can energize a reception without turning it into a formal class. Choose something connected to the hosts, destination or event theme, and let a professional teach one sequence that beginners can enjoy.

The goal is not technical perfection. It is to create a moment when the group laughs, moves and participates together. Make observation just as acceptable as joining in.

14. Invite a Place-Based Storyteller or Naturalist

The destination itself can become the entertainment. A local historian, naturalist, cultural interpreter or outdoor guide can share stories tied to the landscape and community.

This is particularly effective for retreats, destination weddings and resort events. Choose someone with a real relationship to the material. When cultural traditions are involved, work with the people and communities who own and carry those stories.

15. Plan a Surprise Micro-Performance

Not every performance needs a stage or a 60-minute set. A string trio appearing on a terrace, an a cappella song between courses or a short choreographed entrance can create a memorable shift in the evening.

Keep the surprise brief and place it at a natural transition. The strongest micro-performances feel like part of the event's story, not an unrelated interruption.

Which Entertainment Idea Fits Your Event?

Your goal	Entertainment ideas to consider
Encourage natural conversation	Guided stargazing, roaming magic, a hosted tasting
Give guests a personal keepsake	Live illustration, custom poetry, a customization bar
Build teamwork	Mobile mystery, live game show, hands-on maker station
Add interest without stopping the event	Telescope stations, live painting, interactive projection
Raise the energy	Silent disco, dance lesson, surprise performance
Entertain a mixed-age group	Guided stargazing, collaborative art, maker station

How to Choose Entertainment Guests Will Enjoy

Before you book, ask what role the entertainment needs to play. Is it the main attraction, an icebreaker, an optional activity or a reason for guests to move into another part of the venue?

Then confirm the practical details:

1. Guest flow: How many people can participate at once, and how long does each interaction take?

2. Schedule: Will the entertainment work continuously, in timed sessions or as one featured performance?

3. Space: What setup footprint, ceiling height, sightline or view of the sky is required?

4. Technical needs: Does the provider need power, Wi-Fi, amplified sound or control of nearby lighting?

5. Accessibility: Can guests participate while seated? Is the route to the activity stable and accessible?

6. Weather: For outdoor entertainment, who makes the weather decision and what happens if conditions change?

7. Venue requirements: Can the provider supply insurance documents and coordinate arrival, unloading and setup?

The answers matter more than how unusual an idea sounds on paper. Professional delivery is what turns a clever concept into good entertainment.

Why Stargazing Works for So Many Different Events

After years of bringing telescopes to weddings, corporate programs, festivals, resorts and private celebrations across Colorado, we have found that stargazing fills an unusual space in an event schedule.

It is impressive without being loud. It is educational without feeling like a class. It gives quieter guests something meaningful to do, while naturally drawing groups together. Children, grandparents, scientists and complete beginners can all look through the same telescope and experience the same moment of surprise.

Stargazing can also be scaled to match the event. An intimate group may enjoy a guided tour with one astronomer. A larger reception can use multiple astronomers and telescope stations so guests circulate at their own pace. The experience can focus on science, mythology, celestial navigation, the stories behind the constellations or simply the best objects visible that night.

For Colorado events, it also connects the program to the destination. Mountain horizons and the state's strong outdoor culture make looking up feel like a natural extension of the trip. Even at venues with some light pollution, an astronomer can select targets suited to the conditions.

How to Add Stargazing to Your Event Schedule

Stargazing does not have to replace the band, speeches or dancing. It often works best alongside them.

• At a wedding: Open the telescopes after dinner or during a quieter portion of the reception. Guests can step outside in small groups and return when they are ready.

• At a corporate retreat: Use a guided sky tour as the final shared activity, followed by open telescope viewing and questions.

• At a conference: Create an optional astronomy lounge after the formal program, giving attendees a relaxed setting for conversation.

• At a resort or destination event: Make the night sky part of the sense of place with a recurring program or a private experience for the group.

• At a daytime gathering: Ask whether dedicated solar viewing can be safely incorporated before sunset.

Timing changes throughout the year, so the ideal start is based on sunset, location and the type of program. Nearby lighting, buildings and trees also affect telescope placement. A knowledgeable provider should review these details with the venue before the event.

Plan Unique Event Entertainment Under the Stars

If you want guests to remember more than the menu and centerpieces, give them something they can experience together. Unique event entertainment works best when it creates curiosity, connection and a genuine sense of discovery.

AstroTours.org brings professional astronomers, large telescopes and guided night-sky experiences to weddings, corporate events, conferences, resorts, festivals and private celebrations across Colorado. Programs can be designed for an intimate group or scaled into a multi-station experience for a larger event.

Explore private stargazing events with AstroTours.org and tell us about your date, venue and guest count. We will help you determine how the night sky can fit into your event.

Frequently Asked Questions About Unique Event Entertainment

What is unique event entertainment?

Unique event entertainment is an activity or performance that feels distinctive to the audience, venue or occasion. The strongest options are often interactive, easy to join and memorable enough that guests continue talking about them after the event.

What entertainment works well for guests of different ages?

Guided stargazing, live art, maker stations, roaming magic and collaborative projects can all work well for mixed-age groups. Look for an experience that allows guests to participate at their own comfort level.

How long should event entertainment last?

It depends on its role. A featured performance may last 15 to 45 minutes, while an open-house activity can operate for several hours. For telescope viewing, guests can rotate through stations throughout an evening or join a structured guided program.

Can stargazing work at a venue near a city?

Yes. Darker skies reveal more faint objects, but the Moon, planets, bright stars and some star clusters can still provide excellent telescope views from many urban and suburban locations. The exact experience depends on the date, weather, surrounding lights and view of the sky.

Does a stargazing event have to start very late?

No. The start time follows sunset, so winter programs can begin relatively early while summer programs start later. An astronomer can recommend a time based on the date, location and objects visible that season.

What happens if clouds are forecast?

Outdoor astronomy is weather dependent. Ask the provider when the final weather decision will be made, which forecast factors they consider and what cancellation or rescheduling options apply. AstroTours.org monitors conditions and coordinates with private-event clients as the date approaches.