GRAFTON - Every year, when the ground turns frosty and the river carries chunks of broken ice southward, the Bald Eagle comes to Grafton, IL to make its’ winter home. It’s eagle season again and spectators are celebrating the return of the bird by exploring local eagle hot spots, capturing the birds on film and participating in dozens of eagle-themed programs throughout the region. We welcome our feathered friends with open arms and even hold a festival in their honor.
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The Bald Eagle Festival is celebrating its 8th year at the Lodge and is consistently a crowd favorite drawing attention from all over the St. Louis Metro area. The festival will take place on January 28th from 11am to 3pm at Pere Marquette Lodge in Grafton, IL. The historic Lodge is located within Pere Marquette State Park, which is known for its scenic outlooks, hiking trails, educational programs and of course, bald eagles.
Live music will be provided by Misty Ridge, and the World Bird Sanctuary will showcase the Bald Eagle and several other birds during their educational programs at 11am, 1pm and again at 3pm. Festival goers can enjoy unique vendor booths, live music, face painting, children’s crafts, restaurant favorites and wine tasting.
The festival will be held indoors and entry is free. Tickets to the World Bird Sanctuary Show are $3 per person and will be sold at the Pere Marquette Lodge Front Desk starting at 10am the day of the festival. Tickets can also be purchased in advance on the Eagle Festival Event page at www.pmlodge.net. Tickets cannot be used for a different show time than they are purchased for. For more information about Pere Marquette State Park and Lodge call 618-786-2331 or visit online at www.pmlodge.net. This year we have already seen such a great showing of eagles that this event is not one to miss!
