Ask almost any fan of podcasts, and they’ll recognize Jad Abumrad – or at least his voice. As host of smash audio sensations Radiolab and More Perfect, Abumrad is an expert storyteller, which is part of the reason we’re so excited for his keynote talk at the 2019 Jasper Dark Sky Festival on October 25.

Mixing food and science, Food Lab is a fun, interactive cooking demo of molecular gastronomy. Led by Estelle Blanchette of Jasper Food Tours and local chef Darryl Huculak, the experience will introduce unique flavours, textures and styles, and explain the quirky cooking techniques behind them. The guests then get to indulge in each mouth-watering dish.

The northern lights are one of nature’s most spectacular phenomena. The shimmering waves of electromagnetic energy have long inspired astronomers, photographers, scientists, tourists and legions of others to stay out after dark and turn their gaze skyward.

Jad Abumrad is the host and creator of Radiolab, a public radio program broadcast on 524 stations across the nation and downloaded more than 9 million times a month as a podcast.

From October 18 to 27, the town of Jasper sparkles with non-stop dark sky events. From symphonies under the stars to planetarium shows to astrophotography workshops, the Jasper Dark Sky Festival celebrates the art, science and culture surrounding the night sky.

As host of the Jasper Dark Sky Festival, science journalist Niki Wilson has extensive knowledge about the protected skies above Jasper National Park. But she also grew up in Jasper, giving her an intimate familiarity with the local celestial wonders. Here, she writes about what those stars mean to her.