History: Since 1999 the Acadia Birding Festival has offered birdwatchers opportunities to learn about and actually view many species of birds. It is an annual event that takes place in prime birding season for Mount Desert Island which means late May and early June. Where there are birds there will be birdwatchers and this is particularly true in this area of Maine that has many other things to offer. It continues to grow in popularity with each passing year.
Month Held: The Acadia Birding Festival takes place for four days from Thursday through Sunday in late May or early June.
Attractions: Many different opportunities for bird watching are provided over the four-day festival. Read the description of each excursion carefully, the difficulty level is given in detail.
Daytime talks and evening keynotes are offered. Enjoy a delicious lobster dinner and discuss all the activities with your fellow attendees. The pelagic boat tour offers the opportunity to bird watch seabirds from out on the ocean.
When choosing your activities, be sure to consider the location, the distance that needs to be walked, and the difficulty level. Most options are suitable for all the members of the family. The trips range from all day to just a couple of hours. Some potential choices are:
- 6 am -1:30 pm Van Trip Hancock Hotspots - $75
- 3 pm -5:30 pm Field Trip Seal Cove - $30
- 12 pm-2 pm Acadia Puffin Cruise to Petit Manan - $75
- 6 pm -8:30 pm Lobster Dinner - $45
- 7:30-10:30 am Canoe and Bird - Northeast Creek - $45
- 1:00-2:00 pm Seabird ID workshop - $10
This is a very basic listing of the potential activities, more than 100 are offered.
Admission: The registration fee for the event is $15. All other events are priced individually. The activities are priced from free to $125. You have control over how much you spend and which ones you want to attend. Check the website to get the names of any lodgings that are offering special rates or discounts to attendees. Pre-festival activities and post-festival activities are also available.
Parking: Parking will be at diverse locations so every one of them presents its own challenges. The Festival Center is at the American Legion in Southwest Harbor. Parking is located between the American Legion and the library. The Wendell Gilley Museum in Southwest Harbor is the location of talks and parking is located at the museum and in parking lot past the museum on opposite side of street. Van trips meet at the Foodmart where cars can be parked.
