Spark! Experiences: Big Bend National Park Calendar of Events
Spark! Places of Innovation, the Smithsonian’s nationally traveling exhibit on rural American ingenuity, opens at the Museum of the Big Bend on Friday, July 3, 2026 and runs through August 8, 2026.
Museum admission is FREE for the entire six-week run courtesy of our sponsors, Flying W Ranch and West Texas National Bank.
Below are the Spark! Experiences taking place in BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK.
Week One: July 6 – 12
How It Was Made: The Fossil Discovery Exhibit Guided Tour
BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK – Fossil Discovery Exhibit
July 6, 10-11 a.m.
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Join Park Geologist Don Corrick for a guided walk through the Fossil Discovery Exhibit in Big Bend National Park. Located on an actual fossil site, this exhibit showcases the park’s world-class fossil record from the past 135 million years, starting in the Age of Dinosaurs and leading up to the present. The exhibit won a special achievement award from the prestigious American Alliance of Museums in 2018 for its innovative design and off-the-grid features. Meet at 10:00 a.m. at the exhibit, located 8 miles north of Panther Junction on Highway 385 (the north entrance road).
Big Bend National Park Artist in Residence
BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK – Panther Junction Community Room
July 9, 2-4 p.m.
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Sonic Landscapes: Crafting Music to Define Space and Place with Dr. Justin Badgerow, a distinguished pianist and educator. Driven by a fascination with the intersections of culture, music, and nature, Dr. Badgerow’s goals for the Big Bend National Park Artist in Residence focus on using the desert landscape as a creative catalyst. A key objective is a performance of the Masada Suite (2007) by his late student, Marilyn Dieckert, whose work was directly inspired by the Big Bend region. Through a lecture-recital format, he intends to pair this music with a slideshow of the park’s natural features, serving as a “musical ambassador” for the National Park.
Week Two: July 13 – 19
Big Bend National Park Artist in Residence
BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK – Panther Junction Community Room
July 16, 2-4 p.m.
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Photography Workshop with Spencer Selvidge
Week Three: July 20 – 26
How It Was Made: The Fossil Discovery Exhibit Guided Tour
BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK – Fossil Discovery Exhibit
July 20, 10-11 a.m.
Click Here for Full Description
Join Park Geologist Don Corrick for a guided walk through the Fossil Discovery Exhibit in Big Bend National Park. Located on an actual fossil site, this exhibit showcases the park’s world-class fossil record from the past 135 million years, starting in the Age of Dinosaurs and leading up to the present. The exhibit won a special achievement award from the prestigious American Alliance of Museums in 2018 for its innovative design and off-the-grid features. Meet at 10:00 a.m. at the exhibit, located 8 miles north of Panther Junction on Highway 385 (the north entrance road).
Big Bend National Park Artist in Residence
BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK – Panther Junction Community Room
July 25, 2-4 p.m.
Click Here for Full Description
Photography Workshop with Spencer Selvidge