Birdfest and Bluegrass
A festival that spans downtown Ridgefield and the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge with activities on the Lake River, and a trolley to transport you in between.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US AT THE 2019 EVENT! CHECK BACK HERE FOR DETAILS FOR NEXT YEARS EVENT, SATURDAY OCTOBER 3rd, 2020!
2019 Schedule
DOWNTOWN RIDGEFIELD
Bluegrass Picker’s Festival, Bluegrass performances, Birder’s Marketplace, LOTS of family friendly crafts and activities, Audubon live bird shows, vendors, food and MORE!
10-4PM: Birdfest Themed Family Friendly Activities @ Overlook Park
Farmer’s Market and Birdfest vendors, scavenger hunt by Friends of the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, LOTS of kids crafts, food vendors, bluegrass jamming, and MORE!
10-12PM: Arts & Crafts @ Ridgefield Library
10-5PM: Birder’s Marketplace @ RACC
Arts & Crafts galore! Fabulous photographs, garden art, jewelry, wood carving, books, bird supplies, glass, ceramics, and much more. Come learn, explore, and even get a head start on holiday gifts!
10:30-12:30PM: Guided Interpretive Paddle
Join experienced Alder Creek Kayak guides and naturalists from the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge for 2.5 mile paddle on Lake River. Welcome home the fall migration, enjoy music and lunch on the beach! Children free when accompanied by an adult in a double kayak. Click here to register or learn more.
11AM: Wine Garden opens with Windy Hills Winery
12-2PM: Oregon Zoo ZAP @ Overlook Park
ZAP Teens will be on hand with some amazing animal skulls and pelts to examine.
12-2PM: Gerardo Calderon, Latin American Musician @ Overlook Park Stage
12PM: Bluegrass Picker’s Festival around town
Enjoy bluegrass music with pickers jamming in businesses, outdoor venues, and parks throughout downtown Ridgefield.
12-3:30PM: Bluegrass Performances @ Old Liberty Theater
Band include Sunny South, Whiskey Puppy and Sleepy Eyed Johns
1-2PM: Live Bird Show @ Union Ridge Elementary School
Sponsored by Audubon Society of Portland.
Meet an owl, a turkey vulture and a raven; learn about their amazing abilities and get close to some of the birds you might see on the Refuge.
1:30-3:30PM: Guided Interpretive Paddle
Join experienced Alder Creek Kayak guides and naturalists from the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge for 2.5 mile paddle on Lake River. Welcome home the fall migration, enjoy music and lunch on the beach! Children free when accompanied by an adult in a double kayak. Click here to register or learn more.
2:15-3:15PM: “Crows: Clever, Curious, and Charismatic” @ Union Ridge Elementary School
Loma Pendergraft, a PhD student at University of Washington, will present some fun and interesting facts about crows before discussing some of the research he and his lab have conducted on crow behavior, vocalizations, and capacity to solve novel problems.
3 – 3:30PM: Photo Contest Announcement @ Birder’s Marketplace (RACC)
2:30-4:30PM: Live Birds on Display @ Davis Park
Sponsored by Audubon Society of Portland.
Get a close-up look at these magnificent birds of prey and learn about their habitats.
4:30-6:30PM: Big Canoe Paddle on Lake River @ Public Boat Launch
Sponsored by Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership
Family friendly canoe paddle through the Wildlife Refuge. Participants paddle 14-passenger, 29 foot canoes to experience Lake River from a unique on-water perspective. Click here to register. Registration is required and will open September 14th.
RIDGEFIELD NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
Visit the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge for free during Birdfest. Discover the birds, wildlife, trails and Cathlapotle House; learn about the culture and history of the Ridgefield area; and appreciate the beauty of the natural area just across the river from downtown Ridgefield.
6AM and 5PM: Sandhill Crane Tours @ Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge
Join expert staff to learn about cranes and wildlife, and to see and hear the magnificent flight of hundreds of sandhill cranes! Meet at the Visitors Contact Station on the River “S” Refuge Unit 15- minutes before the tour time. Pre-registration required at www.ridgefieldfriends.org.
8:30AM: Activities begin @ Carty Unit and Plankhouse on the Refuge
Family friendly birding walk, birding photography, geology walk, Cathlapotle Village Hike, water color classes and MORE! For a full schedule and pre-registration see www.ridgefieldfriends.org.
9-1pm: Bird Language Workshop @ River S Unit, Hunter Parking Lot E
Particpants will learn the five voices birds use to communicate, learn the shapes of bird alarms, and so a bird listening sit and debrief session.
4PM: Chinookan Style Salmon Bake @ Cathlapotle Plankhouse
Join the Chinook Indian Nation and Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde for a blessing of the food, drumming and a taste of the traditionally balked salmon and seafood stew. Spnsored by Columbia Credit Union. While supplies last.
