Experience Fall Migration at Amherstburg’s Festival of Hawks

The highly anticipated 2025 Festival of Hawks is all set to return to Holiday Beach Conservation Area in Amherstburg this weekend.

Chris F/Pexels

The festival, which kicks off at 9 am on both days, offers visitors a golden opportunity to witness the awe-inspiring spectacle of thousands of birds of prey migrating overhead. This phenomenon has bestowed the area with the prestigious recognition of a globally significant Important Bird Area (IBA) in 2000.

Experts from HBMO will be stationed at the hawk tower throughout the weekend, leading bird counts, banding hummingbirds and hawks, and releasing newly tagged birds back into the wild. Families can also expect interactive displays, nature hikes, and kid-friendly crafts.

New this year is the Woodland Critter Parade, inviting children and adults to dress up or make masks on-site before joining the march at 1:30 p.m. Special guest judges include ERCA Chair Molly Allaire on Saturday and HBMO President Hugh Kent on Sunday.

Guided hikes run both days, with naturalist Jeremy Bensette leading morning bird walks and the Windsor Feminist Bird Club hosting inclusive raptor-spotting tours. Other highlights include an insect hike with Paul Desjardins, a Monarch butterfly presentation, and an evening Owl Prowl on Saturday, which requires pre-registration.

Beyond the trails, visitors can stop at more than a dozen information booths. Organizations like Parks Canada, Essex County Field Naturalists’ Club, Windsor of Change, and Wildlife Preservation Canada will be on hand to share expertise and local conservation stories. Vendors such as Sunny Island Farm and Robert Bishop Artwork add a local flavour, while Scotty’s BBQ keeps festival-goers fed for under $10.

Admission is $20 per vehicle per day, covering most activities. The festival runs 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day, with something for seasoned birders and first-time visitors alike.

More Things to Do at Amherstburg.

Festival of Hawks at Holiday Beach

Holiday Beach Observation Tower/Essex Region Conservation

When: September 13 – 14, 2025 | 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Information Booths & Ongoing Activities

Essex Region Conservation Authority (ERCA) – Saturday & Sunday, 9 a.m.–3 p.m.
Fun for All Ages Activities – Saturday & Sunday, 9 a.m.–3 p.m.
Woodland Critter Parade – Saturday & Sunday, 1:30 p.m.
Holiday Beach Migration Observatory (HBMO) – Saturday & Sunday, 9 a.m.–3 p.m.
Just Fishin’ Friends – Fish at the Trout Pond – Saturday only, 9 a.m.–1 p.m.
Scotty’s BBQ – Saturday & Sunday, 9 a.m.–3 p.m.
John R. Park Homestead Gift Shop – Saturday & Sunday, 9 a.m.–3 p.m.
Real-Time Aquatic Ecosystem Observation Network (RAEON) – Saturday & Sunday, 9 a.m.–3 p.m.
Essex County Field Naturalists’ Club (ECFNC) – Saturday only, 9 a.m.–3 p.m.
Pelee Wings Outfitters – Saturday & Sunday, 9 a.m.–3 p.m.
Sunny Island Farm – Saturday only, 9 a.m.–3 p.m.
Parks Canada – Saturday & Sunday, 9 a.m.–3 p.m.
Windsor of Change – Saturday only, 9 a.m.–3 p.m.
Wildlife Preservation Canada – Saturday only, 9 a.m.–3 p.m.
Native Trees and Plants Nursery (NTP) – Saturday & Sunday, 9 a.m.–3 p.m.
Canada South Land Trust – Saturday only, 9 a.m.–3 p.m.
Robert Bishop Artwork – Saturday & Sunday, 9 a.m.–3 p.m.
Windsor and Essex County Plein Air Artists – Saturday & Sunday, 9 a.m.–3 p.m.
Ontario Purple Martin Association – Saturday & Sunday, 9 a.m.–3 p.m.

Portable Classroom Presentations

Ojibway Prairie Complex: Creating Canada’s Second National Urban Park – Saturday only, 11 a.m.–12 p.m.
Accipiters, Falcons, Buteos, Oh My! Identifying Hawks in Flight – Saturday & Sunday, 12 p.m.–2 p.m.

The Life Cycle of the Monarch – Sunday only, 2 p.m.–3 p.m.

Guided Hikes

Bird Hike with Jeremy Bensette – Saturday & Sunday, 10 a.m.–11 a.m.
Bird Hike with Windsor Feminist Bird Club – Saturday & Sunday, 11 a.m.–12 p.m.
Insect Hike: Bugs Above and Below with Paul Desjardins – Saturday & Sunday, 12 p.m.–1 p.m.
Things with Wings Walk – Saturday only, 2 p.m.–3 p.m.

Special Program