Teatown to Celebrate EagleFest Saturday at Croton Point Park
Teatown Hudson River EagleFest, the annual festival celebrating the bald eagle’s winter migration to the Hudson River, will soar once again on Saturday, February 8 at Croton Point Park.
This year’s celebration features expanded programming including presentations by the youngest falconer in Connecticut, Christine Peyreigne, and award-winning filmmaker Jon Bowermaster. Additionally, longtime favorites of the event, including bird experts Bill Streeter, Brian Robinson and Brian Bradley, will make special presentations of their own.
“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,” said Teatown’s Executive Director Kevin Carter. “The event’s collaborative spirit comes from an outpouring of positive energy and the participation of nonprofit organizations, families, businesses, schools and government.”
Each year, thousands flock to Croton Point Park to see live bird-of-prey shows and demonstrations, and especially to see wild bald eagles and other birds of prey thriving in their natural habitat along the Hudson River. Bald eagles have rebounded as a result of federal and state protections and can now be seen nesting and hunting along the river.
The region’s foremost raptor and environmental experts will lead demonstrations and other nature-related workshops and presentations to guests of all ages.
This year’s featured presenters include:
Christine Peyreign: Peyreign became a falconer and started hunting with her red-tailed hawk, Theron, when she was just 16 years old. She will be joined by her bald eagle, Aurora, among other raptors.
Bobby Horvath: A licensed wildlife rehabilitator and active-duty FDNY firefighter, Horvath will present at EagleFest for the first time with his bald eagle, Montana, as well as other raptors.
Bill Streeter: Director of the Delaware Raptor Center who has over 30 years of experience as a raptor rehabilitator, falconer and educator. Streeter will be joined by his bald eagle, Benson, and other birds of prey.
Brian Robinson: A master falconer who has been providing wildlife education programs for over 25 years. His programs focus on the resiliency of birds of prey and other wildlife across New York State, with an emphasis on the Hudson Valley.
Brian Bradley: A falconer since 1984, Bradley now does educational programming all over the Northeast with his hawks, falcons and owls. His program, “Skyhunters in Flight,” features live flight demonstrations with his birds of prey.
Jon Bowermaster: Bowermaster is a writer, filmmaker, adventurer and a six-time grantee of the National Geographic Expeditions Council and will join the EagleFest lineup this year to show exclusive clips from his new film series “Hope on the Hudson.”
Guests will be able to enjoy selections from a variety of food trucks outside the main tent and are encouraged to dress for the weather. Food trucks and some educational activities, including wild eagle spotting and bird walks, are outdoors.
Teatown has also set an impressive goal for the 2020 EagleFest: to only produce one bag of trash. 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,” Hall said. “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. Travel by charter bus with a Teatown educator for an in-depth view of eagles in their habitat. Tours stop at the New Croton Dam, Verplanck Steamboat Riverfront Park and George’s Island Park in Montrose. Stops may change due to weather. Tour times are 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Bus tours are intended for guests 12 years old and up. Tickets are $35 per person and do not include admission to Eagle Headquarters. To sign up for the bus tours, call 914-762-2912 ext. 110.
EagleFest 2020 will be held at Croton Point Park, located at 1 Croton Point Ave. in Croton-on-Hudson from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pre-sale tickets are $22 for adults, $13 for children (6 to 11 years old) and free for children five and under. Tickets sold at the venue on the day of the event are $25 for adults, $15 for children (6 to 11 years old) and free for children five and under. The snow date is Sunday, February 9.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit teatown.org/eaglefest.
Rick has more than 40 years’ experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, running the gamut from politics and crime to sports and human interest. He has been an editor at Examiner Media since 2012. Read more from Rick’s editor-author bio here. Read Rick’s work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/pezzullo_rick-writer/