On Saturday April 12, over 174 cities around the planet will be celebrating the anniversary of the first human to leave the home planet – Yuri Gagarin. More than that they will be celebrating the power of space to bring us together, to take care of our Spaceship Earth, and to inspire us to go beyond what we think is possible.

Yuri's Night opens up space to anyone who grew up on Star Wars, anyone who ever wanted to be an astronaut, anyone who looks up at the stars and experiences wonder. (Space, it's not just for rocket scientists anymore.)

For those of you who don't know, my husband George and I created Yuri's

Night. And when I am not blogging for Wired, I am also the Executive

Director.

Here, I present you with a full User's Guide to Yuri's Night after the jump.

Yuri's Night, now in it's eighth year, features events ranging from a huge festival at NASA Ames featuring Phil Lesh and Stewart Brand, to a party in Ethiopia for thousands of local university students, to an intimate (and hard core) group at the South Pole station. Wired will have a photo and film crew down at NASA Ames tracking the festivities, but feel free to send us your pictures from across the world.

International Space Station Commander Peggy Whitson and her crewmate Garrett Reisman sent down a greeting from outer space (their Russian colleague Yuri Malenchenko was in the lab module working but also sent his "Poyeholi!" along through Peggy). They are welcoming three new crew members who just arrived in time to celebrate this Yuri's Night in space.

If you are in the United States there are a number of events to chose from:

Austin: From the crew who brought you the 2007 dance party at Red 7. Yuri's Night 2008 at Orchid will be an audiovisual experience! The event runs from 10 pm to 2 am. Orchid - 405 East 7th | 21+ only / no cover | live electronic music (Rage Ranger, Shuttle Debris, Automusk) and digital art.

Boulder: Daytime events at Fiske Planetarium (family friendly)- Free ice cream for first 500 people. "October Sky" showing at 5pm. Live music at Trilogy Bar starting at 9 pm. Vodka shots for the best costumes. boulder.yurisnight.net for more.

Chicago: We will be hosting an event at the Fix Cafe on 736 W Irving Park Chicago, IL 60613 (773) 248-1422 DJs will be spinning after 10 pm. Come check it out! All are welcome. No Cover.

Cocoa Beach: Come out to the Cocoa Beach Pier for a Space Beach Party! We are planning beach games, cosmic volleyball, awesome prizes, live music, drink specials and more.

Houston: Houston Rally and Yuri's Night team up at Space Center Houston for a full day of speakers, rocket launches, motorcycles and an evening of live music with the Texas Outlaw Music Festival. Don't miss this Texas-sized space and music event, including a raffle for a Zero G flight. Tickets available and more info at houston.yurisnight.net.

Los Angeles: As only Los Angeles can, our event features Stan Kent, the Rock and Roll Rocket Scientist, Spitzer Telescope researcher, Robert Hurt, and astounding space artist Dan Goods at Cinespace 6356 Hollywood. $15 presale/$20 door. la.yurisnight.net

New York City: NYC Yuri Night will be at Rebel Lounge after 7 pm, 251 West 30th Street (between 7th and 8th Ave). Cocktails, costumes, galactic merriment in abundance. Prizes include a space flight simulator centrifuge experience. Tickets and more on their website.

Philadelphia: Attention Star Wars lovers! Yuri's Night Philadelphia features Lorne Peterson, author of Sculpting a Galaxy: Inside the Star Wars Model Shop" on April 11 at 7:30 pm at the Franklin Institute. Admission is $5. Free for members and those with *Star Wars *tickets for that evening. 214.448.1254

Seattle: Greenwood Space Travel Supply store will be celebrating Yuri Gagarin with borscht and seven hours of War and Peace being read aloud during the day. (8414 Greenwood Ave). Party at Museum of Flight with former astronaut Bonnie Dunbar in the evening.

San Francisco: The Bay Area will be home to the largest Yuri’s Night celebration ever, with 8,000 people joining astronauts, artists, scientists, engineers and musicians. 2 pm to 2 am at the NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif. Tickets $40/advance ($50/door) at sf.yurisnight.net

Washington D.C.: Join us at NASA Goddard. Have a beer with a rocket scientist. Groove to one of DC's best DJs. Enjoy live music by the Cassettes. Climb in a Mercury Capsule. Jump in our Moon Bounce. UPop (XM 29) will be broadcasting from the event all night. Shuttle to the Greenbelt Metro. $10 adv/$15 door.

Outside the U.S. there are events in Paris, London, Geneva, Star City, Madrid, Montreal, Stuttgart, Tokyo, Beijing and Sydney as well as in Iran, Nigeria, Bulgaria, Turkey, India, New Zealand, Azerbaijan, Colombia, Lithuania and Zambia.

Please go to our Party Listing for a full list of events around the world.

If there isn't a party near you you can: start your own, visit the Second Life party, or watch the fun on www.ustream.tv/yurisnight

After all, it could just be the only holiday still celebrated in 10,000 years. Peace, love, space and as Yuri's said just before launch: Poyeholi! (Let's go!)

Yuri's Night to mark anniversary of Russian space flight [Houston Chronicle]

Yuri's Night blasts off, Jeffrey Paradise emerges, and Thread Recordings launches [SF Bay Guardian]

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Photo courtesy Yuri's Night/Sam Coniglio