FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Alton, IL – Dec. 13, 2024) The great American Bald Eagle winter migration is almost here and southwest Illinois is ready and waiting. The Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau is hosting a party honoring these iconic birds in downtown Alton on Saturday, Jan. 4 launching the official start of Eagle Season.

The free Annual Alton Eagle Ice Festival will be held Jan. 4 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at FLOCK Food Truck Park in downtown Alton along the banks of the Mississippi River. Eagle focused activities will also be held at the Audubon Center at Riverlands and the National Great Rivers Museum in Alton.

“Eagle Fest is a great way to kick off Eagle Season and gives people the chance to celebrate the return of American Bald Eagles to the region for winter,” said Cory Jobe, President/CEO of the Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau. “This is a very popular festival with the visiting public and is an opportunity for people to travel throughout the Alton area and enjoy a wide variety of free activities including seeing a live bald eagle, watching ice carvers and so much more.”

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., a free Eagle Meet & Greet event will be held at FLOCK Food Truck Park, 210 Ridge St., Alton, where an American Bald Eagle from World Bird Sanctuary, will be on hand with its handler to welcome visitors. Learn more about bald eagles and take photos during this event. IceMan ice carvers will also be at FLOCK creating a live ice sculpture during the event. Free face painting for kids is also on tap. S’mores kits are available for purchase so festival goers can enjoy s’mores by the firepits. FLOCK will also host three different food trucks and will have winter boozy drinks available.

Also from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., there will be family-friendly activities at the Audubon Center at Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary, 301 Riverlands Way, West Alton and National Great Rivers Museum, #2 Locks & Dam Way, Alton.



The Audubon Center will have outdoor learning activities about eagles and nature along the birding sanctuary’s trails. There will also be guided bird hikes and exploration of the trails at Riverlands along with firepits, make and take crafts, and a meet and greet with an American Bald Eagle from World Bird Sanctuary. The Audubon Center will host Eagle Saturdays at the Audubon Center with free activities each day at Noon. The Eagle Meet & Greet sessions are $10 per person.

The National Great Rivers Museum will celebrate Eagle Fest with children’s crafts, open tours of the Melvin Price Locks and Dam, and a ‘Nest Watch Station’ with spotting scopes to view a resident eagles’ nest.

Your Event Space in downtown Alton will host the Alton Eagle Ice Fest Winter Market. The market will run concurrently with Eagle Fest.

Eagle Watching Shuttle Tours will also kick off on Saturday, Jan. 4 in Alton. The tours will be held every Saturday in January and February. In Alton, enjoy a 90 minute shuttle tour highlighting eagle watching hot spots. Two tours each Saturday will be held at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Tours begin and end at the Alton Visitor Center, 200 Piasa St. Tickets are $15 per person and must be purchased online in advance. Tickets for the tours are available for purchase here: https://www.riversandroutes.co...

Every day visitors can travel along the Meeting of the Great Rivers National Scenic Byway on a self-guided tour thanks to an “Eagle Watching Tour” featured on the Great Rivers & Routes website. The tour is also available via an integrated mobile app for iOS and Android devices. This new tool provides a new way to explore what the area has to offer and includes places to stay, popular restaurants, activities and more. IPhone users can download the app here: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/... and Android users can download here: https://play.google.com/store/...

Annually, the opportunities for eagle watching continue to grow in the Alton region. Visitors can head out to view the eagles on their own, or they can take part in some of the traditional eagle watching events in the region, including eagle meet & greets, eagle watching tours and live bird demonstrations. Events take place nearly every weekend and throughout the week in January. A full list of events can be found online at: https://www.riversandroutes.co...


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(The Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau is a certified Destination Marketing Organization serving Madison, Jersey, Calhoun, Macoupin, Montgomery and Greene counties and East St. Louis in St. Clair County. The bureau is dedicated to educating visitors about the region by providing information regarding the area’s history, unique landmarks, recreational opportunities, leisure attractions, special events and scenic marvels.)