Jessica Millar, a 23-year-old UF College of Medicine graduate student, stares into Jared Fish's eyes while relaxing in the grass during Kanapaha's Moonlight Walk. "It was really cute," Millar said.
Vincent van Gogh may have enjoyed Kanapaha Botanical Gardens’ observance of the starry night.
About 3,000 people attended the annual Moonlight Walk on Saturday from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. The event included live music, food vendors and twinkling lights.
Abe Christian, the semi-retired store manager of Verizon and volunteer coordinator of Kanapaha Botanical Gardens, managed the mob of people who tried to enter through the park’s only entrance.
The 37-year-old said about 30 to 40 volunteers signed up to help with the event.
Despite the large crowd, the high school students and ROTC members who volunteered were prepared.
“We’re very efficient with our training,” Christian said.
Once visitors paid the entrance fee of $14 for adults and $7 for children, with a $4 discount for members, they could listen to live music from Keith Peters Talking Stick Band, purchase food from various vendors, explore the 1.25-mile walkway leading to a field of lights and telescopes or just lay in the grass with their loved ones.
Paula McLain, a member of the Alachua Astronomy Club, brought laser light machines to Kanapaha with her husband, Clint McLain, to let people connect with the stars.
“You’re all made of stars,” she said as she spoke to visitors dancing and taking pictures of themselves covered in green and red laser lights.
Other members of the AAC brought their personal telescopes or binoculars, setting up about 10 in a field and pointing them at the moon or Jupiter.
Andy Howell, the president of the AAC for three-and-a-half years, showed visitors three of Jupiter’s four bright moons: Io, Europa and Ganymede.
About 15 people from the astronomy club registered to attend the event, a typical number from the group’s 110 members, the 66-year-old said.
“We’ve been here for at least 10 years,” Howell said.
One of Howell’s favorite objects to view in the night sky is Jupiter, which he said is bright and easy to see.
Howell was pleased with the timing of this year’s event, as the moon was one day past first quarter, which is a misnomer for the half moon, he said.
“Sometimes we don’t have clear skies like this,” the retired Air Force space systems analyst said.
Brandon Miller was one of hundreds of people to observe the moon up-close Saturday night.
“It’s like you’re right there looking at it,” he said after finishing his turn at the scope.
The 22-year-old air conditioning technician said it was his second year attending Kanapaha’s Moonlight Walk.
The ambiance created by the approximately 1,500 candles and luminaries was his favorite part of this year’s walk, he said.
“It’s a pretty awesome experience,” Miller said. “I’d do it again.”
Follow Emma on Twitter at: @emmaginable_
Email: egreen@alligator.org
