Yuri’s Night ‘Par-tah’ Plans in Progress

January 7, 2010—It’s going to be the par-tah of the year. Yuri’s Night, an annual worldwide celebration of humanity’s achievements in space, will be held on April 12, 2010. Last year, from April 4-12, more than 200 parties were held in 47 countries on six continents to celebrate Yuri Gagarin, the first person to orbit the Earth on April 12, 1961, and the first launch of the U.S. Space Shuttle 20 years later on April 12, 1981. Space enthusiasts George and Loretta Whitesides created Yuri’s Night in 2001 with a goal of merging the world of art, music, dance and exploration in a fun, party atmosphere. “We wanted to bring together artists and engineers together with scientists and musicians to experience the wonders of space,” said Loretta in a podcast toasting the 2010 event. The number of parties has grown each year, George added, from 69 events in 29 countries, to 217 events in 42 countries. Each Yuri’s Night event is locally organized and funded. Individual celebrations range in size and scope, from 8,000 people at the NASA Ames Research Center near San Francisco to the few cosmonauts and astronauts on the International Space Station. Organized events have included all-night dance parties in the Encounter Restaurant at LAX, planetarium shows at the Natural History Museum in New York, cocktail receptions in Stockholm, symbolic toasts at the South Pole research station, and a traditional ceremony under the cherry blossoms in Japan. To celebrate the event’s 10th year, Yuri’s Night global organizers are also making plans to support a webcast to showcase parties around the world on Saturday, April 11. Clips and “toasts” from organizers and celebrities are being collected to be shown in addition to live footage from events. While planned 2010 parties aren’t yet noted on the website, they will be soon. And if there isn’t a party near you, don’t worry. If you can’t find a party, start your own. To register your party, which is free, click here.

A partygoer gets into the spirit during a 2007 event in the Bay area. MichaelOlsen/ZorkMagazine George and Loretta Whitesides co-founded Yuri’s night in 2001. Photo credit: Zork Magazine

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