(c) Alan Stankevitz

IMPORTANT UPDATE 4/23/22
We have just had to make some difficult decisions due to avian influenza, our festival coordinator just getting COVID, and the rapidly increasing rates of COVID in our area. While we found a way to still have the festival and not cancel it, it will look significantly different.

• We will not be having the Illinois Raptor Center bring live owls to the festival this year due to the threat of avian influenza. Our selected venue was next to a wetland, heightening the risk to their owls. We will just have our own live owls at the Owl Center: Ruby the Great Horned Owl, Piper the American Barn Owl (she may even show you the eggs she's sitting on), and JR the Eastern Screech-Owl, who is singing a lot these days to his perceived "girlfriend", Andie, our educator. Uhu the Eurasian Eagle Owl may or may not be present as she is also sitting on eggs and transporting such a large owl on eggs is a large feat.
• We will not have scheduled programs. COVID is rapidly increasing in our area so we don't want to congregate large numbers of people in small spaces.
• Photo sessions have been cancelled.
• There will be no owl prowls, since it is in the middle of owl nesting season.
• We WILL have: pellet dissection, nest box building, vendors, face painting, kids art from around the world, festival shirts featuring Alice the Great Horned Owl, a story stroll, the Parade of Owls art tour around town, and more.
• Masks are strongly recommended.

See the full schedule here

Header: Alice (c) Images by Ingvalson