LeClaire Eagle Festival

2024 Schedule of Events

Saturday Events

• Three ice sculptures will be carved by Rob Storm at Aunt Hattie’s Fanciful Emporium. Once the sculptures are complete, they will be moved around to various locations for viewing.
• Eagle watching along the Mississippi River.

Sunday Events

Sunday events will be held from 11 am to 4 pm at the Celebration Center located at 229 N. Cody Road in LeClaire.

Event Schedule

10:45 am – Doors Open to Public, Vendor Tables, Kids’ Activities, Hot Cocoa Bar
11:00 am – World Bird Sanctuary with Live Eagles
12:00 pm – Eagle Tales with Brian “Fox” Ellis
12:30 pm – The RARE Group with Live Birds of Prey (Eastern Screech Owl and Rough-legged Hawk)
1:30 pm – Photographer Ty Smedes Presentation of “The Life of Iowa’s Bald Eagles”
2:30 pm – World Bird Sanctuary with Live Eagles
3:15 pm – Eagle Tales with Brian “Fox” Ellis

Event Overview

• The St. Louis-based World Bird Sanctuary will host presentations with live eagles. The World Bird Sanctuary has treated more than 21,000 injured birds and has helped organize conservation efforts on four continents.
• The Iowa City-based RARE Group, a non-profit raptor rehabilitation and education organization, will host presentations with a live falcon and owl. The RARE Group is dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation, and conservation of birds of prey throughout Iowa. Their avian ambassadors educate the public about the wonders of Iowa’s raptor species, the dangers they face, and what can be done to help these birds have a better quality of life in the wild.
• Photographer Ty Smedes will host a presentation with slides and information offering an often-unseen look at the lives of Iowa’s bald eagle population, from fishing to building nests and much more! Find out how researchers track eagles’ movements and where the eagles come from. Second editions of Smedes’ book, “The Return of Iowa’s Bald Eagles,” will be available for sale and can be signed by the author.
• Internationally acclaimed author and storyteller Brian “Fox” Ellis will share stories about bald eagles, bringing along a spotting scope and books for sale.
• Rob Storm will carve three more ice sculptures at Mississippi River Distilling Co. Once the sculptures are complete, they will be moved around to various locations for viewing.
• LeClaire Community Library will be on hand with organized activities for children.
• A Hot Cocoa Bar will be provided.
• Eagle watching along the Mississippi River on the Celebration Center roof with birding experts on hand and spotting scopes courtesy of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.