Teatown Hudson River EagleFest, the annual festival celebrating the bald eagle’s winter migration to the Hudson River, will soar once again on February 8. The event takes place from 9am to 4pm at Croton Point Park in Croton-on-Hudson. This year’s event features presentations by the youngest falconer in Connecticut, Christine Peyreigne, award-winning filmmaker Jon Bowermaster, and bird experts Bill Streeter, Brian Robinson, and Brian Bradley. EagleFest is hosted by Teatown, a nonprofit environmental education center and nature preserve.
“EagleFest stands out as a community event because it is fun, inspiring, and brings people of all ages together to share a very uplifting story: the comeback of the bald eagle from the brink of extinction. The event’s collaborative spirit comes from an outpouring of positive energy and the participation of non-profit organizations, families, businesses, schools, and government,” said Kevin Carter, Teatown’s Executive Director.
The region’s foremost raptor and environmental experts will lead live bird-of-prey shows and demonstrations, and other nature-related workshops for guests of all ages. Attendees will be able observe wild bald eagles and other birds of prey in their natural habitat along the Hudson River. The bald eagle population has rebounded as a result of federal and state protections, and the birds can now be seen nesting and hunting along the river.
Guests will be able to enjoy food from a variety of food trucks situated alongside of the main tent. Guests are also encouraged to dress for the weather since some activities, including wild eagle spotting and bird walks, take place outdoors.
Teatown has set a goal to only produce one bag of trash for the entire day of EagleFest. Teatown’s Community Environmentalist, Nadya Hall, is leading this effort by working with vendors and the Parks Department. “Festivals are notorious for producing obscene amounts of trash,” said Nadya. “As we reflect on our own responsibility as environmental stewards, we are excited to rise to the challenge and tackle this ambitious goal with the help of our extended family of community volunteers.”
Teatown is also bringing back EagleFest bus tours. Buses with a Teatown educator onboard will offer an in-depth view of eagles in their habitat. Tours travels from New Croton Dam up to George’s Island Park in Montrose. Tour are from 9:30am to 11:30am, and 1:30pm to 3:30pm. Bus tours are intended for guests ages 12 and over. Tickets are $35 and do not include admission to Eagle Headquarters. To sign up for the bus tours, call (914) 762-2912.
Pre-sale tickets are $13-$22 and three dollars more on the day of the show. Children 5 and under are free. To purchase tickets, visit teatown.org/eaglefest.
