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brings you this edition of
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Duly Noted: A bike-camping adventure, climbing win, and a Halloween extravaganza
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 | (Courtesy/ Melissa Ganey) Haines high school students traveled to Healy in late September to participate in the 2026 Alaska Association of Student Government fall conference. |
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The ghouls, goblins and ghosts were out in force for Halloween in Haines. At the Southeast Alaska State Fairgrounds, the Haines High School Drama, Debate and Forensics team turned Harriett Hall into a very spooky haunted house, and kids scoured the grounds for clues in a scavenger hunt crafted by Dave Thomas and helpers. Amelia Nash transformed the Klondike into a haunted soirée with music from Ooga Booga and DJ Scaroline. As columnist Charlene Jones reports, Zack Hawks won the coveted Black Cat Award dressed as a mailbox stuffed with political ads, taking home two Alaska Seaplanes tickets.
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For more on the town’s biggest Halloween party of the year, check out the Scare at the Fair photo gallery from Chilkat Valley News photographers Will Steinfeld and Lizzy Hahn.
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Coming up this week: Alaska Bald Eagle Festival, Nov. 5-8
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| An eagle lands in the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve on Jan. 28, 2024, near Haines. (Lex Treinen/Chilkat Valley News) |
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Sasquatch talks, eagle-calling contests and a chance to bid on a Botswana safari are all on the schedule as the 30th Alaska Bald Eagle Festival opens this week. As Chilkat Valley News reporter Lizzy Hahn writes, there’s also a lynx fur coat up for grabs, if you’re willing to outbid your neighbors for it.
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10:30 a.m. - 7 p.m. Dandelion Dispensary open at 1053 Haines Rd.
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7 p.m. River Talk: Bird Is the Word! in the Chilkat Center for the Arts lobby. Seven storytellers get seven minutes each to tell a bird tale, and the night wraps up with Eagle Call and Raven Call contests, with prizes. Wine, beer and snacks for sale. Admission $7.
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FROM THE ARCHIVES: Nov. 15, 2007 "Return to the Wild"
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(File photo/Andy Hedden)
An immature bald eagle takes flight after being released at 19 Mile Haines Highway during the 2007 bald eagle festival. Visitor Elaine Morris bid $900 to release the rehabilitated bird. |
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7 a.m. - 8 p.m. Bamboo Room restaurant open. Trivia in the Pioneer Bar starts at 7 p.m.
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8:45 -11 a.m. Guided field trip to the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. Naturalist Mario Benassi and professional photographer Steve Karm will lead this eagle-viewing and photography trip from the American Bald Eagle Foundation to the preserve. $100 per person. Advance registration required. Brought to you by:
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10 a.m. - 2 p.m. American Bald Eagle Foundation museum and Raptor Center open with $10 festival admission. At 11 a.m., Deanna Strong of Klukwan presents “Tlingit Regalia: More Than Fancy Clothes: Culture, Ceremony, and Identity,” and at 1 p.m., ABEF director Aaron Cleveland shares a travelogue from Botswana to help people understand more about the luxury safari to Botswana available in the silent auction.
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Are you team Owl or team Falcon? Team Tundra or Team Taku? Choose your ambassador bird and schedule a personal encounter and photo opportunity during the festival weekend.Ambassador Bird photo sessions available with advance registration.
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10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Hammer Time at the Haines Hammer Museum. More than 2,500 hammers tell the story of human progress and ingenuity. Admission $7, cash only.
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10:30 a.m. - 8 p.m. Dandelion Dispensary open at 1053 Haines Rd. 10% off storewide for First Friday.
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3:15 p.m. Eagle craft for kids at the Haines Borough Public Library. Holly Davis leads a free eagle-inspired craft for young festival-goers.
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4 - 7 p.m. Festival opening ceremony at the American Bald Eagle Foundation. The Chilkat Dancers open the festival with traditional song and dance, followed by live music from Keep the Pool Open and light snacks. David Strong of Klukwan presents on the museum mural at 5:30 p.m., and Kevin White speaks on wildlife ecology at 6:15 p.m. Free and open to the public.
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5 - 7 p.m. Haines First Friday. Local art, shopping, refreshments and community activities around town.
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You might be forgiven if you’ve never heard of a Western Siberian eagle owl. Bald Eagle Foundation 2024 summer intern Gabriel Hallmark explains: “It’s a subspecies of another species of owl, called a Eurasian eagle owl, which they’re really not native to here,” he said.
The owl’s plumage is barred – think striped – and blended in gold, white, gray and black. These distinct markings, and the slow, deliberate way she moves make this nocturnal bird of prey so majestic. But under fluorescent lights the owl sits hunched over, legs forward, feathered feet exposed, looking more like a muppet.
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“She’s a really dense bird. Looking at her now you can see all the little fluffy feathers,” Hallmark said. They are down feathers. “That’s going to insulate her, and then she’s going to have those bigger feathers on the outside. That’s going to help seal those in.”
The 10-week-old owl, however, did not come from Siberia. She came from a breeder in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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“She was bred for education. So our goal with her is to train her to come to our glove, be able to fly [and demonstrate] what these birds really are capable of,” Hallmark said.
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7 a.m. - 8 p.m. Bamboo Room restaurant open. Karaoke in the Pioneer Bar starts at 9 p.m.
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8:45 - 11 a.m. A second chance for a guided field trip to the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. Naturalist Mario Benassi and professional photographer Steve Karm will lead this eagle-viewing and photography trip from the American Bald Eagle Foundation to the preserve. $100 per person. Advance registration required.
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10 a.m. - 2 p.m. American Bald Eagle Foundation museum and Raptor Center open with $10 festival admission. Elizabeth Hofer covers Alaska lynx biology at 11 a.m., and Tim Shields talks about saving endangered species at 1 p.m.
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One of our bald eagles, Bella or Arden, could the star of your festival photo. Book a bald eagle photo opportunity with a clear view beyond the visual barriers of their enclosure. Ambassador Bird photo sessions available with advance registration.
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10:30 a.m. - 7 p.m. Dandelion Dispensary open at 1053 Haines Rd.
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11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Jilkaat Kwaan Heritage Center & Bald Eagle Preserve Visitor Center in Klukwan. The gallery explores Chilkat Tlingit culture, history, art and traditions. Admission: adults $15; youth ages 5-12 $7.50; seniors 65 and older and active duty military $12.50.
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| Wildlife biologist meets improv comedian: Rich Capitan, a wildlife biologist whose work spans from Antarctica to Alaska who also happens to be a humorist and owner of Comedy Sportz Anchorage brings animals stories and laughs to Haines! Brought to you by |
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5 - 9 p.m. Annual Bald Eagle Festival Gala at the American Bald Eagle Foundation. This festival dinner and live auction has some unique items that can benefit you and the birds at the Foundation. Thirsty? Bid on the Founder’s Mug and you can drink for FREE at the 2026 and 2027 Festival Dinner. Need something to wear? Bid on the Fancy Festival Fur Coat and dress in style for the remainder of the 2026 festival and during the 2027 festival. Dinner by Julian’s Todos Tacos, comedy and hilarious animal stories from Rich Capitan, a cash bar and live and silent auctions. Tickets are $60 and expected to sell out, so reserve early.
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Bidding closes Saturday: ABEF online silent auction. Bid from anywhere on personalized raptor experiences, locally inspired artwork, vintage ABEF apparel, an African safari and an educational taxidermy class with Museum Curator, Mallory Benda. Proceeds support the foundation’s wildlife care, education and conservation work. Pick up winning items at the gala on Nov. 7 or from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 8, or have them shipped at your expense. View items and bid.
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FROM THE ARCHIVES: Nov. 2, 2017 "Eagle counts soar this year."
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| (File photo/Jane Pascoe) Pamela Flory of Fairbanks releases one of two juvenile bald eagles November 11 as part of the American Bald Eagle Festival. Flory’s high bid of $550 at a live auction won her the opportunity to release the eagle. Both eagles were rehabilitated at the Bird Treatment and Learning Center in Anchorage. About 100 residents and visitors turned out for the event. |
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The annual eagle count soared in 2017. Researcher Chloe Goodson’s counted more than 1,400 eagles during a roadside count in the week before the festival. The congregation typically peaks in mid-November, with historic counts reaching over 3,000 birds.
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7 a.m. - 11 a.m. Eagle Festival pancake breakfast in the Haines School cafeteria. Pancakes, bacon, coffee and juice, with gluten-free pancakes available. $15 per plate, with proceeds benefiting the Haines Dolphins Swim Team.
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7 a.m. - 8 p.m. Bamboo Room Restaurant open
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10 a.m. - 2 p.m. American Bald Eagle Foundation open with $10 festival admission on the final day of the season. At 11 a.m., Mario Benassi presents “Sasquatch and Cryptid Beasts of Alaska.”
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10:30 a.m. - 7 p.m. Dandelion Dispensary open at 1053 Haines Rd.
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12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. Festival closing celebration at the Haines Borough Public Library. The 2026 Spirit of an Eagle Award goes to Sue Chasen for her years of dedication to the American Bald Eagle Foundation, the festival and the Haines community. Light refreshments. Free and open to the public.
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Free shared transportation is available for out-of-town festival guests Friday through Sunday, Nov. 6-8, including scheduled ferry and airport pickups and rides between participating in-town events. View details and request a ride.
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Have a meeting, public comment period or something else you think Chilkat Valley residents should know about? Submit it here.
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This special edition of Duly Noted is brought to you by Visit Haines
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