2026 Festival Schedule
Three days of birding, learning, and community.
Explore the full schedule below.
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Full Schedule at a Glance
Get the big picture. Click the image to view or zoom in on the full festival schedule.
Headlands Birding Festival – Schedule at-a-glance
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Free Events & Activities
These special activities are free and open to all–no festival registration required!
FREE – OPEN TO ALL
Blackbrook Audubon Big Sit
Blackbrook Audubon will supply coffee and doughnuts as we gather to scan the nearby shrubs and trees for warblers and other fall migrants. This is a perfect outing for less mobile folks who enjoy group birding.
Sat, Sep 19
8:00 AM–12:00 PM
Headlands Beach State Park
FREE – OPEN TO ALL
International Observe the Moon Night
Join CMNH astronomer Monica Marshall to take part in International Observe the Moon Night at Mentor Marsh. This occasion encourages nature AND Moon enthusiasts and fans of astronomy to gather in celebration of our lunar neighbor.
Sat, Sep 19
8:00 PM–10:00 PM
Wake Robin Boardwalk
FREE – OPEN TO ALL
Special Access – Behind Closed Gates
Explore the wild western end of Mentor Marsh State Nature Preserve on your own, open house style, to view the wide-open skies, wet meadow habitat, and edges of the marsh from a utility access road vantage point.
Sat, Sep 19
12:00 PM–3:00 PM
Wake Robin Boardwalk
FREE – OPEN TO ALL
Mentor Marsh Nature Center Extended Hours
Mentor Marsh trails are free and open year-round, dawn to dusk. The Carol H. Sweet Nature Center is free and will be open extended hours on both Saturday and Sunday, 10 am – 5 pm, for the Headlands Birding Festival weekend.
Sat, Sep 19
Sun, Sep 20
10:00 AM–5:00 PM
5185 Corduroy Road, Mentor
Free Coffee
for the early birds!
Saturday Morning
Heading out for an early walk? Stop by for a complimentary cup of locally roasted coffee, courtesy of Ohio Backwoods and Ohio Backwoods Coffee of Zanesville.
Bring your own Tumbler
We encourage refillable tumblers!
Cups available
Cups will also be on hand.
Donations kindly accepted
All donations benefit Friends of Headlands Beach State Park.
Coffee courtesy of
Ohio Backwoods
In partnership with
Ohio Backwoods Coffee
Bird Guides in the Field
Four locations • Saturday & Sunday
Need help with an ID? Want to know what birds are around today? Our friendly bird guides will be stationed at four popular birding locations throughout the day. Stop by anytime–no reservation needed!
Headlands Dunes Nature Preserve – Western Wire
Headlands Beach State Park – Western Wetland
SATURDAY & SUNDAY • 7 am – 1 pm
FREE • OPEN TO EVERYONE
Saturday Night Social
Birds, Bistro, and Brews
Special screening of
Ohio, Wild at Heart
Courtesy of Ohio Backwoods
Saturday • 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Film begins at 6:15 PM
Join us at Lyric Bistro for a fun, relaxed evening of food, games, prizes, and an inspiring look at Ohio’s incredible natural places.
free food
Pizza, Pasta, and Salad
Catered by Rego’s Brickhouse Pizza
film screening
Ohio: Wild at Heart
45-minute documentary from ODNR and MacGillivray Freeman Films
Birder Bingo
Win a limited edition HBF-etched pint glass
Free HBF coaster
For everyone attending
$20 • No General Registration Required
Advance tickets recommended • Maximum 70 attendees
Cash at the door if space remains.
Questions? Contact us at headlandsbirdingfestival@gmail.com
Kid’s Scavenger Hunt
• Free
• All Weekend
Explore the festival, spot birds and nature items, and earn fun stickers and prizes!
Pick up your scavenger hunt checklist at the Registration table.
Come back to the Registration table with your completed checklist and pick up your prize.
Browse the Schedule
Explore sessions and events by day and time.
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Prefer a printable version?
Download the full festival schedule as a PDF to view offline or print.
don’t miss the festival finale!
Festival Wrap-Up & Species Celebration
Sunday @ 3:00 PM • Parking Lot 1 • Free and open to all attendees
Wrap up the Headlands Birding Festival with our closing ceremony! Join us at Headlands Beach State Park as we announce the total number of bird species observed throughout the weekend and celebrate another successful festival. Don’t miss the exciting Friends raffle drawing, featuring a fantastic selection of prizes—the perfect finale to a great weekend of birding.
Species Total Announcement
Raffle Drawings & Prizes
Community Celebration
Need Help?
We’ve updated our registration process. These short videos will help you navigate our schedule and registration process.
How to Read the Festival Schedule (6 min)
Learn how to use the schedule-at-a-glance image, interactive tabs, and event descriptions.
How to Register for the Festival (10 min)
Step-by-step instructions for purchasing registration tickets and selecting events.
Registration Notes
A General Registration ticket is required to allow you to register for any of the festival programs. EACH ATTENDANT MUST REGISTER SEPARATELY. While the parks are still open to the public during the festival, the small registration fee helps cover the cost of the festival and nets you a welcome bag that includes a printed schedule, festival sticker, and bookmark.
YOU CANNOT EDIT A COMPLETED REGISTRATION. You can submit an additional registration, but you must pay the General Registration fee with each registration. Please double-check your registration selections before final submission.