Cape May Spring Festival

We have a lot in store for this year’s Spring Festival. Registration will open in early February, and you’ll want to lock in your spots!

There will be a keynote address with Pete Dunne and Kevin Karlson on their latest collaboration, The Shorebirds of North America: A Natural History and Photographic Celebration. This book is a lavishly illustrated, large-format reference book by these two preeminent experts on North American shorebirds. Pete and Kevin have updated and expanded Peter Matthiessen’s classic book, The Shorebirds of North America, with this updated and expanded natural history of North American shorebirds. Detailed accounts convey the richness and variety of the five family groups, with incisive, fact-filled descriptions of all 52 species of shorebirds known to breed in North America.

Guest speaker Bryony Angell writes and speaks about birding culture, the importance of birding as a pastime, and wildbird conservation. She has written forThe Seattle Times, Audubon.org, Birding Magazine, and Bird Watcher’s Digest. Bryony serves on local and international committees focused on the connection between food production and bird conservation.

There will also be presentations on “How Sweet It Is: Your love for coffee, chocolate and maple syrup can support bird conservation,” “Bird Like a Mother” (a roundtable of birding world personalities and mothers of school-aged kids), and “Three-Part Bird Photography Workshop with Phil and Becky Witt” (covering the basics of bird photography—equipment, composition, background, camera settings, light, and a few post-processing suggestions). 

Field, boat, and trolley trips as well as great indoor programs await you. Whether it’s your first time or you just can’t resist coming back, you will leave this festival a better birder with a heightened passion for birding and conservation. Many trips sell out fast, so register today! Event organizers may close registration based on capacity constraints.

We will have check-in, information, and indoor programs at the Grand Hotel , and the birding trips take place at multiple sites within the town and county. Many of our local birding sites are within 15 minutes driving distance of the Grand Hotel and many other hotels in the heart of Cape May.

Visit our website for more details and for discounted festival room rates at the Grand Hotel.