I have been an enthusiastic supporter of national park star parties and I've both organized and attended public events at Zion NP, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef and Arches whenever it's been possible for me to do so. So, I have a few thoughts to offer to this discussion. In helping to organize astronomy events for any group or organization I've found that those who request our services generally fall into two categories. First there are those who contact us and say (in essence), "Here we are - please come entertain us." The other group says, "Here we are - what can we do to get the most from your involvement in our event?" If we do the organizing for the "entertain us" type of group, the attendance is invariably low and the experience is not what I consider to be a success. I dare say that we all prefer to assist those of the latter group. Those at Bryce Canyon NP who have organized the astronomy events there fall into the latter category and, of course, have become the most successful. It is a treat for me to work with organizers such as Kevin Poe and Chad Moore. My recollection is that there simply hasn't been anyone at Arches NP who has been committed to organizing a successful event. Like Ann, I too have spoken with persons associated with the Park who have expressed an interest in having us help with some event, but there has been no follow-through at their end. The last time I attended a "public" star party at Panorama Point I doubt that we had more than a dozen or so show up from the public. As I see it, the up-shot of all this is that we should provide services only to those who will organize their own event and invite us to join them, not the other way around. Regarding sky conditions, I don't mind holding public events at less-than-perfect sites. After all, even most of our preferred private star party venues have some light pollution. We can always help the organizers choose a specific date, time and site to optimize observing conditions. However, we usually get more involvement from our own members if we can promise dark skies. Now I'm getting long-winded - or should it be long-fingered? Anyway, my two cents... Kim