Press Release

October 2021

They’re Back! Humane Indiana grows its 2021 “Festival of Owls.”

Screech, Barn, Barred, Snowy, Great Horned --- sound familiar? They’re not nicknames, they’re OWL SPECIES and the public can see these majestic birds of prey at Humane Indiana’s upcoming Festival of Owls.

Humane Indiana’s Wildlife team is gearing up for its 6th Annual Festival of Owls, sponsored by Cleveland Cliffs, Urschel and NIPSCO, scheduled for Saturday, October 23. Humane Indiana CEO, Brian Fitzpatrick said the event quickly outgrew the space at the not-for-profit’s Wildlife Center located in Valparaiso, Indiana.

“The larger space is more conducive to social distancing and housing up to 30 craft vendors giving guests the opportunity to pick and choose sessions attendees would like to attend throughout their day with us,” Fitzpatrick explained. “The event is scheduled for 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. and by having it at the Porter County Expo Center we don’t have to worry about the weather,” and Fitzpatrick says the day’s schedule of presenters was designed for full day or partial day guests.

“Our goal is to share the stories of these incredible birds that are the education ambassadors for our school programs as well as brings together like-minded organizations under one roof for the public to discover,” shared Humane Indiana Wildlife Director, Nicole Harmon. “We’re happy to announce that we’ll have multiple live owl species at the event including our newest ambassador, Pippen, the six-month old Barn owl.

In addition to the LIVE OWL SPECIES, the event also offers an exploratory science station where kids can dissect owl pellets, use microscopes to look at owl feathers while their parents visit vendor booths. Other guest speakers include representatives from Indiana Dunes State Park, Indiana Audubon Society, and Shirley Heinze Land Trust. Butter and Grace will be a featured food truck. The event is family-friendly, open to the public and accommodates all weather events.

Tickets are $25/adult, $10/child (ages 8-14), children 7 and under are FREE. To purchase tickets online or for a list of ticket locations, visit HUMANEINDIANA.ORG. Tickets also available at the door.