Waterfowl Festival

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Courtesy of the Waterfowl Festival

Strolling the streets of Easton with family and pups

The 50th Anniversary of the Waterfowl Festival will take place in historic Easton, Maryland on November 12-14, 2021. More than 15,000 visitors are expected to experience a time-honored Eastern Shore tradition that pays homage to the annual migration of geese through the Atlantic Flyway and supports wildlife conservation throughout the region. The thousands of geese that fill the skies during the event each year are a vivid reminder for visitors of the Festival’s mission. Rain or shine, the Waterfowl Festival holds a multitude of attractions for all ages, whatever their interests may be.

“The Waterfowl Festival is right around the corner and we are in full-on preparation mode,” said Kevin Greaney, Waterfowl Festival Board President. “We look forward to presenting a banner year of family fun and showcasing the art and other Festival traditions inspired by our Eastern Shore heritage.”

For sporting and dog enthusiasts, the Festival features a partnership with North American Diving Dogs at the Sportsman’s Pavilion at the Elks Lodge, as well as Retriever and Fly Fishing demonstrations at the Bay Street Ponds. Outdoorsmen (and women) will be delighted at the array of vendors offering everything from big-game adventure trips to the handcrafted calls in the always popular Sportsman’s Pavilion location. The long-running World Championship Duck and Goose Calling Contests also continue this year where junior and senior callers will try their skills against the best at Easton High School. Finals will take place on Saturday at the High School followed by the Sportsman’s Bash at the Elks at 6 p.m. that night following the competitions.

Visitors can sample the very best in local wines, beers and delicacies at the Tasting Pavilion and also indulge in traditional Eastern Shore fare served up by local food vendors and downtown restaurants. A new location at the VFW “Taste of the Chesapeake Pavilion” will feature all the best food, drink and entertainment that Delmarva has to offer - including crab cakes, oysters, local craft brews and live music. For the retail enthusiasts, the Chesapeake Marketplace at the Easton Middle School and Festival Shoppes provide unique, regional gifts to jump-start the holiday shopping season.

As the original and premier wildlife art and sportsman’s expo in the country, the Waterfowl Festival gives art enthusiasts and sophisticated sportsmen much to rave about. Artists and their work will be showcased in five galleries spread across historic Easton featuring world-class paintings, carvings, sculpture and photography. Downtown, festival-goers can visit the Avalon Theatre (sculpture and painters), the historic Armory (painters and flat art), the Pavilion (Featured Art Piece, Sculpture) and Christ Church (Photography). Carvers and the fine art they will create will be featured throughout the galleries.

As a Festival which has something for everyone, the younger visitors can learn how to cast a line at the Kids’ Fishing Derby, learn more about wildlife at the Birds of Prey Demonstration and learn to paint a miniature Canvasback decoy and much more at the Kids’ Art exhibits.

“The Waterfowl Festival continues to be the highlight of the year for residents and visitors to this part of Maryland,” says Greaney. “Returning visitors will see some of their favorites like the Diving Dogs at the Elk’s Lodge and the shopping opportunities the Chesapeake Marketplace at the Middle School but we truly hope that we have something for everyone who wishes to visit Easton during the Festival.”

This year’s Featured Artist, Bart Walter, a native of Western Maryland, has created a signature piece for the Festival, a sculpture, “Wind and Waves” a bronze of two Canada geese taking flight while four Canvasback ducks look on. It features a unique, cross-section perspective that illustrates the movement of take-off and its resulting ripple effects from above and below the surface of the water. Canada geese and Canvasback ducks are two of the most beloved waterfowl species found in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Walters was also the Featured Artist for the 25th Anniversary Waterfowl Festival and created the iconic “Family Affair” goose sculpture which graces the lawn of the Waterfowl Festival headquarters in Easton.

Proceeds from the Festival, from food sales to art sales, support the preservation of the Eastern Shore’s outdoor heritage through their Community in Conservation grant program. Since the Festival’s founding in 1970, more than $5 million has been invested in wildlife conservation and education projects throughout the Delmarva Peninsula.