Held on May 13-16, 2021, Bird Fest celebrates the return of migratory birds in the midst of peak wildflower season. Participants enjoy the excitement of birding field trips and workshops, and take part in speaker events, music, visual arts, picnics, and activities for all ages and abilities.

In March, the Wenatchee River Institute hosted a Youth Bird Fest Poster Competition, which invited students in grades K-8 to submit bird artwork to become the feature image on the 2021 Bird Fest poster. Students could submit bird art made with watercolors, pastels, colored pencils, markers, crayons, collage, or any other 2-dimensional materials.

The artwork selected to represent Bird Fest 2021 was painted by Charlie Ricketts, a 2nd grade student in Leavenworth’s Cascade Home Link. Her art (left) features a Red-breasted Nuthatch.

Submissions are included (in no particular order) in the gallery below.

Bird Fest 2021 will be a hybrid model, following state and local COVID guidance at the time. For information about Bird Fest contact Rebecca Ryan at Wenatchee River Institute here: programs@wenatcheeriverinstitute.org