Flocking to Ijams Nature Center's 14th annual Hummingbird Festival is a summer tradition for many in Knoxville, and on Aug. 17, 2024, from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., the event promises to add new thrills to its repertoire. A wide array of activities is scheduled, including the return of the festival's bustling marketplace. Jennie McGuigan, the education director at Ijams, announced, "This year's festival will be bigger and better than ever," in a statement obtained by knoxvilletn.gov.
General admission tickets grant attendees access to an extensive range of attractions such as educational booths, dipnetting, encounters with live animals, and interactive nature zones crafted especially for the younger wildlife enthusiasts. Moreover, Ijams is including guided nature walks and community science initiatives, along with hands-on workshops to engage visitors at all levels of interest.
For those with a penchant for artistry and home gardening, the marketplace will feature handcrafted works, nature-oriented merchandise, local flora, and garden ornaments. Also making a return, by popular demand, are the speaker sessions designed to enlighten and inspire festival-goers on various nature topics.
One unique highlight of the Ijams Hummingbird Festival is the bird banding demonstration. These sessions, hosted by master bander Mark Armstrong, offer intimate cohorts the chance to witness the delicate process of banding birds, along with measurements and discussions on their traits and habitats. "Each small group will get the opportunity for an up-close look at a hummingbird or another bird in a small-group setting with master bander Mark Armstrong," according to a knoxvilletn.gov interview. For an enhanced interaction, one lucky participant from each group will be given the opportunity to release the banded bird back into the wild.
To secure a spot at these bird banding sessions, festival-goers are advised to book their $5 reservations swiftly, as they tend to fill quickly. General admission to the festival is priced at $12 for adults and $9 for children ages 3-12, while infants under the age of three enjoy free admission. Ijams Nature Center members can avail themselves of a 10% discount on tickets. Should any reservations for the bird banding experience be available on the day, they can be acquired on-site at the festival's entrance at the Ijams Homesite.
