Events

During the month of November, bald eagles by the thousands congregate in the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve along the shores of the Chilkat River to feast on the late salmon run. During this time, the Chilkat River is one of the only rivers that fails to freeze over, giving the eagles a chance to gorge. Due to a geologic anomaly, warm water from deep underground comes to the surface in an area known as the “council grounds.” Because of this ancient singularity, a late run of Chum Salmon evolved to spawn in November and December. It is not uncommon to see many other species of wildlife such as Grizzly Bears (Brown Bears), American Dippers, Mergansers, Mink and more feasting on the Chum.

The American Bald Eagle Foundation invites you to join us in celebrating this amazing event here in Haines Alaska.

You will find our Events Run Down of all the things the American Bald Eagle Foundation will be doing during the festival! Along with very special guest speakers and a silent auction throughout the festival, we will have many interactive workshops such as Owl Pellet Dissection (my personal favorite), an exclusive workshop on Wolf Ethology with the Curator from Internation Wolf Center in Minnesota, rock painting and more!

On Saturday, we will be hosting a Potato Bar dinner featuring locally grown potatoes, side salad, vegetarian chili and a brownie desert. There will be two guest speakers presenting on different topics surrounding the Chilkat Valley, followed by a desert auction!

The Dinner is completely sold out! 

Guest Speakers: Please note, we will have speakers presenting throughout the festival. These speeches will be given at different times on different days. Please call the ABEF for more information on dates and times. 

Guest Speaker Sneak Peaks: 

 Friday: Kevin White, a wildlife biologist and researcher, will be presenting at 7pm. His talk will be on Mountain Goats in the Chilkat Valley. 

Saturday: Stacy Evans, with Takshunuk Watershed Council here in Haines, is speaking about Bald Eagle Counts in the Chilkat Valley.

To view the entire schedule of events for the Alaska Bald Eagle Festival please go to: visithaines.com