This Saturday, April 13, marks the return of the Virginia Osprey Festival at Colonial Beach. An annual communitywide mainstay since 2019, the idea for the festival first came to Downtown Colonial Beach President Joyce Reimherr as a way of recognizing and rejoicing in the return of the coast’s resident osprey population—a majestic yet often overlooked occurrence. Now the seasonal celebration has grown into one of the largest festivals of its kind, even drawing in scores of birdwatching enthusiasts from far and wide.
Hosted by the Virginia Osprey Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the festival’s driving mission has always been about endowing the public with more insight and information about the osprey and encouraging folks of all ages to consider taking up the hobby of birdwatching. It’s a goal that pairs perfectly with the Foundation’s overarching objective of fostering a sustainable environment for osprey populations to thrive through science, education, advocacy, and community engagement.
The majority of scheduled events, activities, exhibits, and vendor setups for the 2024 Virginia Osprey Festival will be concentrated on Town Hill, located at Colonial and Washington Avenues. Click here to find out who will be at this year’s event.
While those happenings on Town Hill are all free and open to the public, separate ticketed admission is required for attending presentations within the Fisheries Building. Golf Car and Trolley Nest Tours also come at an added cost. Click here for more information or to purchase tickets in advance. Do take note that ticket prices increase by $5 on the day of the event.
There’s just so much to look forward to at this year’s Virginia Osprey Festival, from arts and crafts vendors to those dealing in delectable food and other refreshments, ongoing birdwatching walks and nesting platform tours to entertaining children’s activities. You can even get up close and personal with live birds! Another fun folly to consider is the Annual Osprey Kite-Flying event on the beach, now in its third year. See the full listing of all scheduled events here.
The 2024 installment of the Virginia Osprey Festival will kick off at 9 a.m. Saturday and conclude at 4 p.m. Click here for directions and parking information.
You can learn more about the Virginia Osprey Foundation, the wonderful work they do, their other upcoming events and projects, and even the ways that you can get involved personally by visiting their website at www.virginiaospreyfoundation.org.