International Festival of Owls

Immerse yourself in owls in Houston, Minnesota March 6-8 at North America’s original full-weekend, all-owl event.

Although Houston has a population of less than 1,000 people, this is indeed an international event thanks to the presentation of the World Owl Hall of Fame awards. David Lei and Jacqueline Emery from New York City will be giving a presentation about Flaco the Eurasian Eagle Owl, who is winning an award this year. Marjon Savelsberg, award winner from The Netherlands, will give a presentation about her vocal research on Eurasian Eagle Owls on Sunday. There will also be hundreds of pieces of children’s owl art from all over the world on display, selected from nearly 3,000 entries from 40 countries received this year.*

The main attractions on Saturday and Sunday are the Illinois Raptor Center’s live owl programs that feature a variety of native owl species, including a live Snowy Owl. The International Owl Center’s own live owls are on display throughout the weekend.

Other fun experiences during the festival include nest box building, pellet dissection, a kids’ owl calling contest, owl crafts, a story stroll, loads of owl-themed merchandise and face-painting. Bus trips require pre-registration, but you can pay admission at the door for everything else.

For those who prefer smaller crowds, Sunday is the better day to visit.

For more information or to register, visit the festival website at www.festivalofowls.com. Plan now to attend, as some events require pre-registration and have limited space. Registration fees increase after March 1. Be sure to bring your kids or grandkids with you for a fun family outing.

*The international children’s owl art contest is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts & cultural heritage fund.