Hawk Weekend Festival September 18-20, 2026
We invite you to join us to celebrate the amazing fall bird migration with us! Hawk Weekend is the annual festival held by Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory in Duluth, MN. Bird migration research and education programs have been shared with visitors throughout the world each fall at Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve for over 50 years! We are happy to announce Dr. Kristen Ruegg, associate professor of biology at Colorado State University, will be our keynote speaker during our festival kick-off event taking place Fri. Sept. 18th from 6-9pm at the Great Lakes Aquarium. Be sure to join us for a fun weekend with a variety of birding field trips, nature hikes, programs, and activities for all ages!
Registration Information and General Schedule of Events
Registration (OPENS EARLY JUNE!) – online registration for individual event selections a la carte. Early Bird discounted rate ends August 15th. Prices vary by field trip/event/workshop (members/students receive discounted prices on all events). All festival events require wristband ($5 pre-registered price). Note: If you are only planning to view the migration at Hawk Ridge during the festival weekend, you do not have to pre-register.
General Schedule of Events: A tentative schedule of events is below. Please note schedule is subject to change and registrants will be notified of any applicable changes to their pre-registered field trip/workshop/event.
Friday, September 18th
- Full day trip: Sax-Zim Bog Birding and Natural History Tour (pre-registration required)
- 9am-4pm: Bird Migration & Programs at Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve (festival wristband required for hourly programs)
- 6-9pm: Kick-off Event & at the Great Lakes Aquarium (pre-registration discount, members FREE). Registration opens (6-6:30pm), social hour (6:30-7:30pm) will include a cash bar and light refreshments and the full aquarium will be open to tour, including the Raptor Ridge Exhibit. The Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory Annual Meeting will begin at 7:30pm (approx. 15 minutes) followed by keynote: Dr. Kristen Ruegg, Associate Professor of Biology at Colorado State University. Her research involves using genomic tools to track migratory birds across space and time and to understand how these animals may fare with environmental change, including the Bird Genoscape Project (birdgenoscape.org).
- 9:30pm Evening Owl Program at Hawk Ridge (pre-registration required)
Saturday, September 19th
- Early morning: Birding Field Trips
- 7am: Songbird Banding Workshop (pre-registration required)
- 9am-4pm: Bird Migration Viewing & Programs at Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve (festival wristband required for programs)
- 11am: Live Raptors Program (either Sat or Sun, pre-registration required)
- 1pm: Advanced Hawk Watching/Raptor ID Workshop (pre-registration required)
- 7:30pm & 9pm: Evening Owl Programs (pre-registration required)
Sunday, September 20th
- Early morning: Birding Field Trips
- 7am: Songbird Banding Workshop (pre-registration required)
- 9am-4pm: Bird Migration Viewing & Programs at Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve (festival wristband required for programs)
- 11am: Live Raptors Program (either Sat or Sun, pre-registration required)
- 1pm: Advanced Hawk Watching/Raptor ID Workshop (pre-registration required)
- 1pm: Birds Rock! Geology and Birding Trip (pre-registration required)
- 7:30pm & 9pm: Evening Owl Programs (pre-registration required)
Monday, September 21st (Post-Festival)
- 9am-4pm: Bird Migration Viewing at Hawk Ridge
- 7:30pm: Evening Owl Program (pre-registration required)
OTHER HELPFUL INFORMATION
Hawk Weekend Festival Frequently Asked Questions – click HERE
Plan Your Visit: If you have not visited Hawk Ridge, we recommend you reading our Visitor’s Guide
Directions: Directions on how to get to Hawk Ridge and other helpful information can be found in our Visitor’s Guide under the Plan Your Visit tab from our home page. Please note Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve is an outdoor facility without a building. Portable toilets are available. Accessible parking/drop-off is available near the main overlook for those in need and other parking is along the road-side. Water, soda, and light snacks are available for purchase in our merchandise trailer. There are many restaurants within a 5-10-minute drive of Hawk Ridge or feel free to bring a cooler with food/snacks/drink (please note no alcohol is permitted in park). To view the migration comfortably, you may want to bring a chair, binoculars, and dress in layers (cold, heat, rain, sunglasses/sunscreen, hat, etc.).
Refunds/Cancellations – HRBO understands unexpected circumstances may arise. Please contact us as soon as possible with any changes, so we can plan accordingly. Some field trips/workshops may not be fully refundable after 9/1, if we cannot fill the slot from waiting list.