Teatown To Celebrate 19th Annual EagleFest In Croton Feb. 4

Croton, N.Y. – Jan. 11, 2023 - The Eagles are landing! Teatown’s Hudson River EagleFest, an annual festival celebrating the once endangered bald eagle’s winter migration to the Hudson River, returns on February 4, 2023 (snow date February 5).

The highly anticipated event at Westchester County’s Croton Point Park, returns live after two years of virtual programming with live bird shows featuring birds of prey, bird spotting walks, educational programming, exhibits, crafts and games for children all in heated tents, plus food trucks, and more!

Elected officials joined Teatown organizers and naturalists at Croton Point Park on Jan. 11 to announce EagleFest’s return. Wildlife rehabilitator Bobby Horvath, who will be one of a number of presenters at EagleFest, brought his eagle Montana and did a demonstration for the crowd which included 1st graders from Ossining’s Brookside Elementary School.

“We are so excited to return to Croton Point Park along the Hudson River to celebrate EagleFest,’’ said Kevin Carter, Executive Director of Teatown Lake Reservation, which organizes the event. “EagleFest brings people of all ages together to share a very uplifting story: the rebound of the bald eagle from the brink of extinction. It is a great winter event where families can learn about nature and the natural world up close and personal. We thank everyone in the community - non-profit organizations, families, businesses, schools and government – who make this event such a success year after year.’’

Westchester County Executive George Latimer said that the event is a tourism success story for Westchester and puts a spotlight on one of Westchester County’s magnificent parks system.

“Eagle Fest is one of the great Westchester events not to be missed. It is a showcase of both the tireless environmental conservation efforts that have been ongoing throughout our county as well as one of our most beautiful park,” said Latimer.

NYS Senator Peter Harckham said that the event was a tribute to the work of naturalists who brought the eagle back from the brink of extinction.

“EagleFest is emblematic of one of the great environmental success stories of our time—the return of the bald eagle to the Hudson Valley after more than a hundred years of absence,’’ said Harckham.” “This popular event, which is part of an ongoing public-private partnership between Westchester County and Teatown, works to promote ecotourism and raises awareness of the beauty and majesty of our natural wildlife, and how we must protect, at all costs, our high-soaring neighbors and the ecosystems that enable them to thrive.”

Each year, thousands flock to Croton Point Park to see live bird-of-prey shows and demonstrations, and wild bald eagles and other birds of prey thriving in their natural habitat along the Hudson River. Bald eagles, once on the brink of extirpation due to chemicals like DDT, have rebounded as a result of federal and state protections, and can now be seen nesting and hunting along the River.

NYS Assemblywoman Dana Levenberg urged people to attend this inspiring event.

"I have attended EagleFest many times over the years and continue to be inspired in my own work by this environmental success story. I hope many people will continue to flock to this amazing event, with lots of opportunities for young and old alike to appreciate all our Hudson River has to offer. Tours, activities, music, films, and great food trucks too! We all need to be part of the solution to protect these natural assets like our wildlife and our parks for many more EagleFests to come," she said.

The region’s foremost raptor and environmental experts will lead bird-of-prey demonstrations and other nature-related workshops and presentations to guests of all ages. This year’s featured presenters include:

Main Stage:

• Owls, Hudson Highlands Museum, Carl Heitmuller
• Birds of Prey, Brian Robinson
• Tom Cullen
• Skyhunters in Flight, Brian Bradley
• Flight of the Raptor, James Eyring

Second stage:

• Raptors for Rookies, Saw Mill River Audubon, Anne Swaim
• Hudson Valley Wildlife: Birds, Teatown Lake Reservation, Maddy Schroeder
• Birding Basics, Teatown Lake Reservation, Emily Edmonds-Langham
• Hudson Valley Wildlife: Mammals, Teatown Lake Reservation, Maddy Schroeder
• Female Bird ID, Feminist Bird Club, Martha Harbison
• Hudson Valley Wildlife: Herps, Teatown Lake Reservation, Maddy Schroeder
• Easy Digiscoping and Phonescoping, Zeiss, Richard Moncrief

For a complete schedule visit the website at https://www.teatown.org/events/eaglefest/

Guests are encouraged to dress for the weather. Food trucks and some educational activities, including wild eagle spotting and bird walks, will take place outdoors.

EagleFest 2023 will be held at Croton Point Park, 1 Croton Point Avenue in Croton-on-Hudson from 9 am to 4 pm. Pre-sale tickets are $30/adults (12+), $17/children (3-11), and free for children 3 and under. Members tickets are $25 for adults and $15 for children. Tickets sold at the venue on the day of the event are $35/adults (12+), $18/children (3-11), and free for children 3 and under. To purchase tickets, visit teatown.org/eaglefest

While there are no dedicated Eagle trains this year, attendees coming from Manhattan or Poughkeepsie can reach the event via Metro-North trains to Croton-Harmon Train Station.

The 19th Annual Teatown EagleFest is generously sponsored by ConEdison, Zeiss, Waste Innovations, Davey and Saw Mill River Audubon and the Town of Cortlandt. The event is made possible with the support of our partners, Westchester Parks Foundation and the Westchester County Parks & Recreation Department. For details visit: www.teatown.org/eaglefest.

About Teatown

Teatown is a nature preserve and environmental education center in the Lower Hudson Valley. Managing 1,000 acres, Teatown is the largest independent, community-supported nature preserve in Westchester County. Teatown reaches more than 20,000 adults and children every year through its full schedule of year-round programs and nature-focused summer camps, and is home to 15 miles of hiking trails. Teatown’s mission is to inspire our community to lifelong environmental stewardship. More information about Teatown can be found at www.teatown.org.