Feathered Fun for Everyone in Pacific City
Published: 03/06/2018
Tree Swallow near Pacific City, Oregon
Tree Swallow near Pacific City, Oregon 

Visitors will flock to Pacific City, Oregon for the 14th Annual Birding and Blues Festival, April 20-22.

Every spring visitors and locals alike gather on the Oregon Coast to celebrate the season with feathered friends and music in Pacific City. The Pacific City Birding and Blues Festival is April 20-22 at the Kiwanda Community Center, 34600 Cape Kiwanda Drive in Pacific City.

Whether you're a first timer to the festival or a seasoned participant, this year's line-up of music and bird-related activities is as informative as it is entertaining. Special guests include author and record-breaking birder Noah Strycker, and award-winning blues musician Karen Lovely.

The three-day festival kicks off on Friday, April 20 with an all day birding excursion along the spectacular Three Capes Scenic Route; followed by a fundraiser dinner and a show by entertainer and amateur ornithologist Tony Starlight.

The fun continues into the weekend with guided field trips, nature presentations , activities with local artists and guided paddle excursions. Field trip locations include Nestucca Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Neskowin Marsh, the beach in Pacific City, and Oregon State Parks' newest acquisition, Sitka Sedge State Natural Area.

This year's keynote speaker is Noah Strycker, world record-setting birder based out of Eugene, Oregon. Noah will present on his new book Birding Without Borders about his "Big Year," when he traveled the world and saw more than 6,000 species in one calendar year.

Additional presentations include those on Oregon's King Tides Project and the introduction of a rare butterfly to Oregon's coastal prairie. There will be another live Birds of Prey presentation, focusing on invasive species and the role of these birds. Finally, learn about the history of feeding wild birds in America, and the growth of sustainable rice farming, and how that benefits our native birds.

On Saturday evening, boogie on down with Karen Lovely, an electric blues singer known for her passionate, driven performances. Lovely established herself as a singer songwriter with a style uniquely her own, receiving nominations for the prestigious 2018 Blues Music Award for "Best Contemporary Blues Female Artist" and 2018 BluesBlast Award for "Best Female Artist". Lovely was nominated for three Blues Music Awards for Best Contemporary Blues Female Artist, Best Contemporary Blues Album and Best Song for her sophomore release Still the Rain. Lovely's newest release, Fish Outta Water debuted at #13 on the Billboard Top 100 Blues Album chart.

Depending on the activity, pricing for festival events vary, but a standard adult festival pass is $60. For more details and registration visit www.birdingandblues.org.
Feathered Fun for Everyone in Pacific City