Visitors to Blanco State Park will have a chance to see some serious shine on Friday, May 18th and Saturday, May 19th. Stars in the Park and the annual Blanco Classic Car Show will be happening on the same weekend, making it a great weekend to get out of the house and see some heavenly bodies at the park – stars and cars!

The viewing begins on Friday night at 8:00pm when visitors to Blanco State Park have an opportunity to get a close-up view of the night sky at Stars in the Park. Volunteer astronomers will guide visitors through the star clusters, constellations and galaxies that can be seen that night. First, as the night sky darkens, you will be shown a beautiful program called Stellarium that will orient you to the entire night sky; showing you what will be visible and what you are likely to see. Then you will step outside and have individual stars and planets pointed out in the now familiar sky. Individual astronomers with telescopes will then invite you over to have a closer look at these beautiful sights. Visitors coming out to the park should dress for the weather and bring a flashlight. Red filters will be available to put over the flashlight at 8:00pm. These filters are necessary to preserve night vision. Last November Blanco State Park had almost 100 visitors come to the Stars in the Park program; please plan to arrive before 8:00pm, so you and your family can park and get to the event before night falls.

The stunning sights continue through Saturday at the annual Blanco Classic Car Show presented by the Blanco Masonic Lodge. The event runs from 9:00am to 3:00pm with awards announced at 2:00pm. As anyone who has ever attended knows, it is always an impressive show of chrome and paint. As many as 200 cars will come out, from pre-1949 antique vehicles to muscle cars, British automobiles to special interest, all parked along the grassy banks of the Blanco River. The east side of the park is closed for the event so families can feel comfortable strolling up and down the road taking in the sights. Food and drink will be for sale as well as event t-shirts. On Saturday, for this special event only, visitors walking into the park are free because of an agreement between the park and the Blanco Masonic Lodge. Visitors driving into the park who are not showing a car will need to pay the daily entrance fee of $4.00 per person.

May 18th through 19th will be a great weekend at Blanco State Park. No matter what your interest,you are bound to see a stunning show! For questions, please contact Blanco State Park Headquarters at 830-833-4333. Park events can also be seen at the Texas State Parks website, www.tpwd.state.tx.us/blanco and the park’s Facebook page under Texas Parks & Wildlife – Blanco State Park.