Second Rock-It! Festival set for Saturday at Banner

Supporters of the Banner Creek Science Center and Observatory are hopeful that the second annual Rock-It! Festival at Banner Creek Reservoir will be a success.

“We’re hoping for good weather and a great turnout for this very affordable family event,” said Mike McManigal, treasurer of the sci­ence center’s board of directors, of Saturday’s fund-raising concert on the north side of the reservoir grounds.

Three Topeka-area bands, in­cluding Blackwater, Atomic Suede and Kangaroo Ali, are teaming up to play Saturday’s concert, with Blackwater member Rich Smith to open the concert at 4 p.m. with a solo acoustic set, McManigal said.

The event is a fund-raiser for the Science Center, where supporters have been working for the better part of the last decade to raise funds needed to realize the original plan of a 17,000-square-foot facil­ity to house the center’s observa­tory, sci­ence labs and classrooms.

The first Rock-It! Festival was held last year at the reservoir grounds and featured live music along with scientific exhibits for people of all ages to enjoy. While the science exhibits will be missing from this year’s event, there will still be a dunk tank and drawings for Pepsi products, it was reported.

Previously known as the Elk Creek Observatory, the science center’s origins trace back to 1999, when Holton High School teachers Mike and Karen Ford conceived the construction of a robotic obser­vatory and were able to obtain $31,000 in federal grants for that purpose the next year. The first ob­servatory was built north of Holton High School in late 2000 and in­cluded a 14-inch Celestron tele­scope.

The observatory was dedicated two years later with a public open house and eventually was able to upgrade to a 20-inch telescope. At that time, it was touted as the only school-owned observatory in the world and it had gained a signifi­cant amount of national attention, but it was not long before it was decided to expand the observa­tory’s scope of activity.

The Banner Creek Science Cen­ter was formed, and its board of directors came up with a plan to raise $4.5 million through dona­tions and grants to build a 17,000-square-foot center in two phases. The first phase, which was planned to establish a presence at the site and was opened to the public in May 2012, houses the 20-inch tele­scope and a 1,200-square-foot classroom.

“We continue to get some small regular donations,” McManigal said. “We’re always looking for support from the community and the extended area.”

Funds raised during this year’s event will go toward day-to-day operations at the science center, which McManigal estimated at about $1,000 per month. He added there is “still quite a way to go” before science center backers have the funds to build the 17,000-square-foot center.

The Banner Creek Reservoir gates will open at 3 p.m., McMani­gal said. Admission is $5 for chil­dren 12 and under and $10 for those age 13 and up. Con­cessions will be available, and there will be a beer garden hosted by Off the Square Grill, it was reported.

For more information on Banner Creek Science Center and Obser­vatory, visit www.bcscience.org