Every year Narrowsburg hosts "Eaglefest", a celebration of the area's arts and environment. The articles below describe the events held in 2004 and 2005.

For more information visit narrowsburg.org or naturesartllc.com or call 888/252-7234 or 845/252-6509.

	TRR photo by Charlie Buterbaugh Ice sculptor Mark Crouthamel, owner of Sculpted Ice Works in Paupack, PA, embellished Narrowsburg’s viewing deck with this statue of a vigilant bald eagle. Saturday’s EagleFest 2004 also featured live ice carving by Eric Anderson of Sculpted Ice Works and Earl Covington, owner of Ice Art, Inc. in Spring Valley, NY. (Click for larger version)

Regal birds draw crowds to EagleFest 2004

NARROWSBURG, NY — On a temperate winter day of January 17, some 2,000 people came to Narrowsburg to learn about bald eagles and other birds of prey during guest lectures and films, to view eagle activity over the Big Eddy and to enjoy the work of Upper Delaware artists.

All 11 Eagle Fest 2004 educational presentations were fully attended. New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey residents filled the Narrowsburg Elementary School auditorium, the Tusten Theatre and the Narrowsburg Firehouse, and Yoke Bauer DiGiorgio, a Narrowsburg resident who conceived of EagleFest, said people traveled to the third annual festival from as far as Ohio, Philadelphia and Oklahoma.

During his presentation, “Everything You Wanted to Know About Eagles, and Some Things You Didn’t,” endangered species expert Peter Nye asked how many people were from New York, and only a third of the audience raised hands.

Thomas Ricardi of the Massachusetts Bird of Prey Rehab Facility and Matthew Hoyt of the Connecticut Audubon Society brought live raptors to their presentations. Ricardi’s female bald eagle remained so calm that spectators could approach her within arm’s length.

While the festival was scheduled to end at 4:30 p.m., DiGiorgio said she looked into the Narrowsburg Firehouse after 4:30 and people were still watching the movie, “Down the Upper Delaware, a Sojourn Through Time and Place.”

A silent poster auction at The River Gallery on Main Street that featured eagle motif posters created by area artists generated $1,100, money that will benefit next year’s festival.

“We were very pleased. A lot of people put in a lot of work to make the third annual EagleFest possible. Every year we try to make it bigger and better, and we look forward to next year’s festival on Martin Luther King weekend,” said John Grund of the Narrowsburg Chamber of Commerce, a founding sponsor of EagleFest.

Nature’s Art LLC was also a founding sponsor, Fleet Bank participated as a corporate sponsor, and the three ice sculptures on Bridge and Main Streets were made possible by donations from Roto-Rooter Septic Services, Stanley Harper and Michael Eurey of Narrowsburg Fine Wines and Spirits, and Robert and Diana Wiegers of Eagle’s Nest Estates LLC.

Before the festival, John DiGiorgio and Yoke Bauer DiGiorgio published their Winter 2004 issue of “The Delaware Valley Wildlife Journal,” which features a collection of articles about eagles, their Upper Delaware habitats and issues concerning eagle preservation. It is available at naturesartllc.com.