This week the Alaska Bald Eagle Festival comes together as eagles congregate in the Chilkat Valley looking to dine on the Chilkat River’s late chum run.
The 30th Alaska Bald Eagle Festival opens Nov. 5 with a slew of new activities, including photos with the foundation’s ambassador birds and the chance to bid on a trip to Africa.
Foundation executive director Aaron Cleveland, who joined the organization in January, said this year’s festival will have a number of new additions, including a “founder’s mug” that attendees of Saturday night’s gala can bid on. The highest bidder will get the mug and free drinks at the 2026 and 2027 festival dinners. Also available for bid during the gala is a chance to wear a lynx fur coat for this year and next year’s festivals.
Annual guided trips to the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve require tickets in advance. Cleveland said that as of Oct. 29 that just seven spots out of 24 total were available. Tickets cost $100. Local photographer Steve Karm will join each trip to give photography tips, along with naturalist and foundation avian curator Mario Benassi. “Naturalist” should be lowercase either way.
More than 20 items are being auctioned, with the proceeds going to the foundation. The highest-priced items are a safari to Botswana and a painting from Haines artist Carol Clifton. Bidding on Clifton’s painting starts at $1,000. While the safari trip, which was donated by Cleveland, starts at $7,000. It will be led by Cleveland, his wife Meg Gammage-Tucker and Niki Voudren, executive director of the Mill Mountain Zoo in Virginia The bidding starts at $7,000. Bidding on online auction items can be done via the foundation’s website.
Speakers during this years festival bring a range of local history and topics. Including a presentation on the museum mural’s history by Chilkat Indian Village council member David Strong on Friday, and a talk on Alaska Lynx Biology by Elizabeth Hofer on Saturday.
Farther afield are Cleveland’s “Botswana Travelogue” presentation on Friday, and Benassi’s presentation on Sasquatch and other Cryptid Beasts of Alaska on Sunday.
A bird-themed River Talk will kick off the festival on Thursday. Seven storytellers will share seven-minute stories about birds. Cleveland will be one of those presenters. While he’s unsure exactly what he will be talking about for seven minutes, Cleveland said his favorite birds are vultures and hornbills. His least favorite are parrots. parrots. The River Talk will also feature eagle and raven call contests.
This year’s Spirit of an Eagle award will presented to Sue Chasen during the closing ceremony on Sunday in the Haines Borough Public Library. Chasen is on the American Bald Eagle Foundation board of directors. The Haines tourism department started giving this award in 2023.
Tourism director Rebecca Hylton said Cleveland wanted to see Sue Chasen recognized for her hard work and Hylton agreed. She said Chasen is”Gung-ho” about the foundation.
“She’s always been heavily involved with the festival,” Hylton said.
The festival runs from Nov. 5 -8. A full list of events can be found at https://baldeagles.org/events/.