Dark Skies Fringe Festival: Enjoy a cosmic bike ride across North York Moors

Guided night-time bike rides are being offered at this year's Dark Skies Fringe Festival

Stargazers are invited to a series of dark skies events being held in North York Moors National Park.

The Dark Skies Fringe Festival runs from 27 October - 5 November, with half-term activities planned.

Organisers said highlights included guided, night-time mountain bike rides and "navigation" walks.

Spokeswoman Phoebe Smith said: "We have some fantastic astronomy experts on-hand during the festival."

North York Moors National Park is one of only 21 International Dark Sky Reserves

Families can enjoy a daytime Dark Skies Trail through the grounds of Danby Lodge National Park Centre, the Planetarium Show with Cosmic Wonders at Guisborough or an evening spent on the headland above Whitby where there will be a guided tour of the night sky in the surroundings of the abbey.

Festival-goers can also attend one of North Yorkshire Moors Railway's Light Spectacular evenings, admiring the heritage carriages which will be adorned with thousands of lights as they travel between Pickering and Levisham.

Ms Smith added: "October's shorter days and lengthening nights provide a perfect backdrop for the Dark Skies Fringe Festival to remind people of the awe-inspiring enjoyment that comes with venturing outdoors to observe some of the darkest skies in the world."

The main Dark Skies Festival across both the North York Moors and Yorkshire Dales national parks runs from 9-25 February 2024.