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Saturday, December 5, 2026, 7pm.
Mark your calendars for the next main Banjo Astro After Dark event – another awesome night of songs and science!
We’ll have reflections and a new set of original songs inspired by the matter between the stars, the stuff hiding in the dark.
Don’t miss it, and invite your friends too! We’ll look forward to seeing you.
November 7, 14, 21 — 10am to 12:30pm. 4635 N Rockwell St, Chicago, IL 60625
Song writing, wonder, and connecting with the universe!
In this workshop we’ll cultivate personal writing routines that both help process the world around us and communicate our experience to others.
Over the course of the three workshop sessions Luke will present and moderate discussions on astronomy and our place in the cosmos, and Jonas will lead the group through writing exercises that turn questions and insights into song lyrics. Both experienced writers and first timers are welcome!
Participants leave with a finished song — and an invitation to perform it at Banjo Astro After Dark. You’ll also get early access to the upcoming BAAD book, notes to take home, and a fully personalized experience!
Workshop cost is $297.
Sunday, September 20, 3pm
Join us for a musical and scientific celebration of Chicagohenge – the dramatic meeting of astronomy and architecture announcing the season’s change. “Chicagohenge” is when the bright orange rays of sunset and sunrise fall directly down Chicago’s east-west streets, and happens only twice a year: at the spring and fall equinoxes.
In this event astronomer Dr. Luke Leisman and musicians from The Parsnip Factory will take a deep dive into the astronomy and history of Chicagohenge, weaving together songs and science exploring the theme, and its connection to our lives. Through the process we’ll learn how best to view the upcoming fall 2026 Chicagohenge, and connect to a long tradition of marking time and place through the motions of the sun, from ancient monuments to the skyscrapers of the Loop.