September
American Red Cross Blood Drive
Friday, September 4; 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Ruby Rupner Auditorium
Please call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit RedCrossBlood.org and enter Hormel NC to schedule an appointment.
The American Red Cross and Hello Kitty are releasing exclusive NEW merch! Come give blood Sept. 1-20 for a super-cute Red Cross x Hello Kitty collectible item, while supplies last!
Sola Fide Observatory Open House
Saturday, September 5; 9:00 – 11:00 p.m.
Free Open House; Weather Dependent
Get away from the city lights and join us under the stars at Sola Fide Observatory. Located off property south of town. Enjoy the stars, moon, or galaxies from one of our two telescopes. There is no heat in the building and you may need to wait outside.
This event is weather/cloud dependent. If there is more than 50% cloud cover, we cannot run the telescope and the event will be canceled that evening. Please watch the JCHNC facebook/instagram stories for updates.
Cedar River Astronomy Club Meeting
Friday, September 18; 8:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Interpretive Center; Free
The Cedar River Astronomy Club’s mission is to connect people with interest in astronomy and give hands on experience exploring the night sky while helping with outreach at the Sola Fide Observatory.
The Cedar River Astronomy Club is open to all ages, skill, and interest levels. It doesn’t matter if you’re a novice, or an expert, if you own a telescope, or just like the night sky, all are welcome!
The club is free to join.
Honey Harvest
Saturday, September 19; 9:30 am – 12:00 pm
Interpretive Center Multipurpose Room; Free Open House
Ever wonder how the honey gets from the hives into the bottle? Come watch Nature Center staff extract honey from our 2 hives. Learn about the hot uncapping knife and why we use it, how we use a bike to extract the honey from the comb, and what the strainers in our collection buckets do. We may be bottling the honey that day but will not have any for sale until the next week sometime.
State Wide Star Party
Saturday, September 19; 2:00 – 4:00 pm
Interpretive Center Classroom; Free Open House
Join us for a ton of space themed hands-on activities and demonstrations from Nature Center Naturalists, Cedar River Astronomy club members, and community volunteers. All activities for this event are free and open to people of all ages! There will be a planetarium show every 30 minutes, from 2 to 4 pm. Tickets are free, and are found at the front desk the day of the event.
Continue the fun by joining us later this evening from 9-11 pm at the Sola Fide Observatory, to look through high-powered telescopes at astronomical objects like the moon, planets, galaxies, learn about constellations, and more. This portion will be canceled if there is excessive cloud cover or inclement weather.
Planetarium Showings
Saturday, September 19; 2:00 – 4:00 pm
Ruby Rupner Auditorium; Free
Don’t like staying up late to look at the stars? Get an up close look at stars, constellations, planets, and much more from the comfort of our indoor inflatable planetarium. The planetarium is a smaller space that will be fairly dark. You will need to take your shoes off and sit on the floor. It is wheelchair accessible.
Throughout the open house, Nature Center staff will give four, 25 minute presentations every 30 minutes. When you come into the Nature Center, please stop by the front desk to get a free ticket for a time slot. Space is limited.
Sola Fide Observatory Open House
Saturday, September 19; 9:00 – 11:00 p.m.
Free Open House; Weather Dependent
Get away from the city lights and join us under the stars at Sola Fide Observatory. Located off property south of town. Enjoy the stars, moon, or galaxies from one of our two telescopes. There is no heat in the building and you may need to wait outside.
This event is weather/cloud dependent. If there is more than 50% cloud cover, we cannot run the telescope and the event will be canceled that evening. Please watch the JCHNC Facebook/Instagram stories for updates.
October
43rd Halloween Warm-Up
Friday, October 2; 6:30 – 8:30 pm – Link to tickets
Saturday, October 3; 6:30 – 8:30 pm – Link to tickets
Cost: $12 per ticket, 3 and under free
Matchbox Children’s Theatre is taking over the Nature Center trails and turning them into Alice’s Wonderland. Take a 45-minute hike and enjoy skits performed by creatures, critters, and spirits of the night. Then relax inside the visitor center with cider and treats!
Especially designed to appeal to children ages 4-11 (accompanied by an adult), but all ages are welcome!
*Accessible track powered chairs are available both nights during the 6:30 and 6:40 pm time slots. Please call to reserve.
Tickets go on sale Saturday, September 5 online.
4th Annual Friends of the Hormel Nature Center
8K Race & 1M Fun Run
Saturday, October 10
8K Race: 9:00 am – register
1M Race: 9:15 am – register
Come enjoy a fall morning on the trails at the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center! Whether you’re an experienced runner, a casual jogger, or just looking for a fun way to enjoy the Nature Center, there’s something for everyone.
New this year: Come in costume! Participants are encouraged to get creative and show off their Halloween spirit. Prizes will be awarded to race winners as well as participants with the best costumes, so start planning your look!
For more information and to register visit our 8K webpage! – Pre-registration is OPEN!