SMGA’s Harvest Moon FUNdraiser, held at Prospect Park/Purgatory Creek Natural Area on November 12, was a splendid success. Even before the almost-full moon rose, a small crowd had begun to gather in the grassy meadow and prepare for Professor Russell Doescher’s astronomy hike. The calm, mellow weather couldn’t have been more cooperative, and revelers of all ages continued to meander down the moon-dappled trail throughout the evening.
Plenty of tasty food and beverages kept everyone fueled up for fun amidst the ground-level twinkling of solar lights and glow-stick jewelry, while telescopes and volunteers from the Texas State Physics Department provided deluxe views of the twinkling sights above. Under the Learning Tree it was standing room only once the bluegrass commenced. A combination of musicians from the Crystal Creek Boys & the Bluegrass Outfit had folks hootin’, hollerin’, applauding, tapping their toes, and calling for more until it was time for the raffle drawing near the end of the evening.
Our thanks to all who joined us (and all who helped us!) at our first-ever fundraising event. We hope you enjoyed yourselves as much as we did—we’ll have to do it again sometime!
- by Jeanine Wilder, Outreach Committee