Flock to Easton for the Waterfowl Festival

The annual Waterfowl Festival in Easton, Maryland, is back with a full weekend of events Nov. 13 to 15. Since it was founded in 1971, the festival has become a Delmarva tradition, showcasing the heritage of Maryland’s sun-flecked peninsular region while raising funds to protect the wildlife and habitat so integral to the Eastern Shore way of life.

Not even the founders could have imagined what it would become. Through art, education, outdoor activities, local food offerings and even calling contests, the Waterfowl Festival captures the windswept beauty of the area’s wild birds and the ardor they stir up among hunters, birders and wildlife enthusiasts.

The event’s nonprofit wing, Waterfowl Festival, Inc., has raised more than $5.7 million, making conservation grants to hundreds of projects run by more than fifty organizations. Its conservation arm, Waterfowl Chesapeake, supports waterfowl and the environment by creating, restoring and conserving habitat throughout the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.

General admission is $15 for the entire weekend. Children under 12 are free. There are fifteen different exhibits and four events, as well as music and activities for children. A list of festival highlights follows. For a full calendar of events, visit WaterfowlFestival.org.

For the Love of Dogs. Perhaps the most popular events at the festival are the doggy demos run by the Talbot Retriever Club. At Easton Middle School, the stands fill quickly to watch dogs race down a dock to splash into a pool of water (the competition is to see which can remain airborne the farthest or highest). Guests can also head over to nearby Bay Street Ponds to see some exceptionally skilled canines show off by leaping into the pond to fetch thrown or hidden dummies. For details, visit dockdogs.com.

Calling Contests. The best birdcallers in the world flock to the Waterfowl Festival. With five contests culminating in a finals round Saturday night, audiences have the chance to watch duck and goose callers from over 15 states and Canada compete. Admission to the finals is an additional $10.
Birds of Prey. Hawks, falcons and owls sharpen their hunting skills during an exciting outdoor flight demonstration with master falconer Brian Bradley.

Food and Drink. Food vendors will offer Eastern Shore favorites and traditional festival fare, supporting local nonprofit organizations. Don’t miss the Wine, Beer & Tasting Pavilion on Harrison Street. Admission (including a tasting glass) is an additional $10.

Arts and Crafts. At the Artisans Gifts and Workshop, visitors can watch painters and carvers at work while browsing a variety of handcrafted wildlife art, jewelry and clothing. At Buy, Sell, Swap at Easton High School, haggling is encouraged among traders, collectors and customers for a dizzying selection of decoys, hunting and sporting memorabilia.

For those visitors who want to take a break from festival activities, go for dinner or just enjoy Easton’s small-town charm, here is an overview of dining and shopping options.

On the restaurant front, Georgetown local Courtney Chapin, who has a home in Easton, notes: “There’s been a real shift toward farm-to-table, and it’s so easy to do here because of the wonderful farms all around the area.”

Brasserie Brightwell is a bistro-style spot with live outdoor music on the weekends. Try their mussels, local fish of the day or grilled whole rainbow trout. “And they have the best burgers in the world,” says Chapin. Their lamb sliders with smoked tomato chutney and goat cheese aren’t bad either.

For pizza, look no further than Out of the Fire, a wood-fired pizza joint with the best margherita pie in Easton or almost anywhere else. There are vegan options, a small, well-cultivated wine selection and a variety of fare inspired by local ingredients, like a softshell crab BLT. When you order the Swiss chard and kale it looks like it comes from a real garden.

Mason’s Restaurant is a local staple, one of the oldest restaurants in town, consistently serving up delicious food — and they have a great outdoor patio. Don’t miss their crab cake, wood-fired flatbreads and local beer selection.

For shoppers, Curlicue is a quaint, locally owned store with beautiful gifts and textiles, home accessories, jewelry and much more. Next door, Chef & Shower offers unique, must-have selections of cookware and bath supplies. It’s like William Sonoma, but with a sharper eye and a personalized touch.

Piazza is a shop that must be called “cute,” but in all the right ways. With a selection of decadent, zesty and rare olive oils and balsamic glazes, fine cheese and other boutique ingredients, it is the best kind of a place to swing by before hosting a party.

Lastly, the Amish Country Farmer’s Market, open Thursday to Saturday, should not be missed. From the kitschy charm of the market to the endless selection of everything from fresh produce and coffee to barbecue ribs, smoothies and hand-rolled soft pretzels, the market is charming, attractive, full of delicious food and friendly faces: a microcosm of everything great about Easton. Once you are here, you will have trouble leaving.