An art festival where visitors can get lessons in fly fishing. A celebration of hunting traditions where art collectors can purchase paintings by 19th- and 20th-century masters. The Waterfowl Festival is this seemingly unlikely combination, held each November in Easton, Maryland. What makes it work is that it is all tied together by the magic of Maryland's Eastern Shore.
Timed to coincide with the return of the migratory Canada Geese that spend their winters in the area's wetlands and fields, for 32 years the Waterfowl Festival has showcased the unique quality of life on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay. This year the Waterfowl Festival will take place November 8, 9 and 10.
While thousands of geese fly overhead, thousands of visitors stroll the colonial streets of Easton, which gives itself over to the Festival each year. Businesses and residents compete to decorate their buildings and gardens in an all-out show of hospitality.
Street vendors sponsored by local civic organizations serve a wide variety of foods, including many Eastern Shore favorites. Festival buses serve the various venues and parking sites.
Numerous galleries of art in historic buildings around town provide purchasing opportunities in price ranges for discriminating collectors and gift-seeking tourists alike. Paintings, sculpture, carvings and photography all are available, with the artists at hand to give additional information about their work and some even providing demonstrations. Children can try their hand at various arts and crafts activities.
However, the art is only half the story of the Waterfowl Festival. It is the hunting tradition that turns what might be just another art show into a truly unique event. The art all takes its theme from wildlife and nature, while the surrounding activities and exhibits focus on all facets of this sporting life.
Dogs joyfully bound into ponds, demonstrating their retriever skills, while fly fishermen show off their talents at luring fish to their hooks. Kids can participate with their own fishing derby.
Calling contests allow hunters to demonstrate their skills at luring waterfowl to blinds, and the accuracy of their aim is tested in shooting exhibitions and tournaments.
Decoy auctions and carving demonstrations celebrate this classic hunting art. Raptor demonstrations and live wildlife exhibits from conservation organizations entertain and educate young and old alike.
It is these wildlife conservation organizations that are the heart and soul of the Waterfowl Festival, for its mission is to preserve and protect the wildlife and habitat that give the Eastern Shore its magic. To that end, proceeds from the Festival are donated to regional conservation groups each year, with the 2002 grants bringing the total donated to more than $4.2 million.
Whether sportsman, art aficionado or family looking for a weekend getaway, young, old or young at heart, the Waterfowl Festival will hold the visitor spellbound with its Eastern Shore magic and hospitality.
The Waterfowl Festival will be held Friday and Saturday, November 8 and 9, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, November 10, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets cost $12 for a one-day ticket and $24 for a multi-day ticket. Children 12 and under, accompanied by an adult, are admitted at no charge. For more information, please contact the Waterfowl Festival at (410) 822-4567 or visit the Festival web site at www.waterfowlfestival.org.
Posted: 10-20-2002
