ATTENTION POTENTIAL ATTENDEES OF MKSP 2026:

In a decision taken over the last 48 hours, MKSP 2026 has been cancelled due to the smoke and wildfire threat in southern British Columbia. We deeply regret the need for this last-minute decision.

Organizers have tried to keep the hope for a successful event alive even as the situation deteriorated, and were working to make our star party happen right up until this holiday weekend. But new fires in the region are breaking out almost daily, and smoke from the more remote fires is blowing in more frequently and thicker. A major fire in Washington State is directly visible on Kobau’s southern horizon and its smoke plume is compromising the most coveted part of the Canadian summer night sky – the low south, particularly the Sagittarius Milky Way. Our primary concerns for the safety of our attendees and their ability to truly enjoy clear, dark skies have won out over our latent optimism. We feel there is no reasonable option but to cancel.

We know this will cause great inconvenience and disappointment to our fellow hobbyists who have been planning and packing to attend MKSP, and we hope the decision has not come too late for you to make something valuable of the time you would have spent at Mt. Kobau. If you have pre-registered, we will refund your fees.

Please note that outside of MKSP -- now cancelled for 2026 -- the star party site is a Protected Area where overnight camping is not allowed.

There’s little upside to this turn of events, but for some of you, it may be an option to attend a September event put on by amateurs in the Kelowna area – the Okanagan Observatory Star Party. For more information on that event, September 10-14, contact our Registrar, Colleen O’Hare, at chohare0@gmail.com

- Organizers of the Mt. Kobau Star Party

About MKSP

This is a special place. The great rampart of Mt. Kobau separates two ancient river valleys. From either side, the mountain’s grassland slopes rise quickly, conceding first to scattered pines, then to steep, thick forests of fir.

A kilometre and a half above the rivers, the woods yield to a sub-alpine ridge.

Here, wildflowers bloom between hardy conifers and sagebrush. By day, the vista seems endless. After sunset, it may be so.

Mt. Kobau Star Party is for those whose hearts swell at the sight of faint starlight; it is not for the faint of heart. The bumpy road to the summit can de-colimate more than your telescope. At night, while good seeing tests your scope’s resolution, cold temperatures will test your personal resolve.

But as the saying goes, nothing worth doing is easy. And - we think you’ll agree - nothing compares with the exhausted exhilaration you’ll feel packing away scope and charts as the spectral hues of dawn tempt away the night’s last stars.

Mt. Kobau has a reputation as a star party for serious observers. That doesn’t mean “no fun allowed.” Nor does it mean you have to be a grizzled sky-veteran to enjoy the experience. The fresh enthusiasm of a fired-up beginner fits right in. Just give proper consideration to the trials Kobau may put you through...and when you come, come prepared!