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Fowl's the Thing in Easton
The November Waterfowl Festival

Eighteen thousand people attend the Waterfowl Festival in Easton each year.

It's November in Easton. The geese are back, and so is the internationally acclaimed Waterfowl Festival-a time when the town turns into an art gallery. This year the festival will be held on November 10-12 at thirteen locations.

Ann K. White's blue eyes light up as she describes the event, for which she serves as communication coordinator. "It's such a colorful, festive atmosphere. People stroll through the streets, and no one's in a hurry. Geese are flying overhead and leaves are turning red and yellow. The air is crisp and it's a great way to spend a weekend-enjoying the images of nature."

This seven foot tall harpy eagle sculpture called Ruler of the Canopy was created by featured sculptor Gary Eigenberger.

Nature is what the festival is all about, she emphasizes. "Anything pertaining to outdoor life can be found here."

About 18,000 people will agree as they come to visit hundreds of different artists and vendors; eat crab cakes, oysters, and hamburgers; and listen to ragtime, jazz, and blues.

The festival is famous for showcasing major sculptors, photographers, carvers, and painters, which White points out must be juried in. "This is an international fine arts show. We gather 400 of the world's best artists in one place."

One major highlight of the festival is the selection of a special artist.

Gary Eigenberger at work.

"Every year our carving committee chooses a masterpiece carver who is always given 2 years' notice to prepare." White is very proud of their current choice-sculptor Gary Eigenberger, who will be featuring his largest piece ever: a 7-foot female harpy eagle sculpture he's named Ruler of the Canopy. This bird is the largest and most powerful raptor in the world.

The harpy's habitat is in Central and South America, where it perches in canopy trees to search and swoop for prey. It can capture game that equals its own weight. Eigenberger demonstrates this fact in the sculpture, which shows the harpy with her victim-a sloth.

Works of other acclaimed artists, such as Robert Abbett, Ken Carlson, Roland Clark, and Bob Kuhn, will also be on display.

If you want to view the finest pieces, you will find them in the Masters Gallery at the Academy of Art Museum, which White describes as "the beautiful jewel of Easton."

But it's not just all about art. If you want a drink before attending other demonstrations and exhibits, try some Maryland wines at the Wine Tasting Pavilion. Its $10 entry fee will allow you to sip ten samples.

A detail of the canopy.

With twenty wineries in the state, eleven represented at the festival, there will be more than 100 selections to choose from. Some of the companies represented are Boordy, Cygnus, and Penn Oaks. "We're trying to showcase Maryland wine," says White.

In addition to art and music, the festival provides a good opportunity to observe activities such as the four goose- and duck-calling contests.

White explains that the techniques are used in the Maryland marshes when hunters sit in duck blinds and imitate the calls of the birds they're hunting. The more authentic their squawks and honks sound, the more success they have enticing the ducks or geese to fly within shooting range. Cupping their hands around a call, a 4-inch wooden or plastic instrument with a reed, they blow through the mouthpiece and flutter their fingers to modulate the pitch and tone. Contestants will use these same techniques when they let loose on their calls, and it promises to be a noisy affair.

There are a number of activities especially geared for children.

The Purina Incredible Dog team with trainer John Casey will wow their audience with acrobatic feats.

Children should enjoy this performance as well as the Kid's Fishing Derby, art activities, and the Blackwater Wildlife Refuge Puppet Show.

For outdoors enthusiasts, there's the Sportsmen's Pavilion, Decoy Auction, and Fly fishing Demonstrations.

White suggests doing your homework before attending the festival. "It's hard to see everything in a day. Look at our Web site and plan what you want to see and where it's located. We have new bus routes planned that will make transportation more efficient." The festival Web site is www.waterfowlfestival.org. Tickets can be bought on line until October 23 or at the downtown kiosks. The festival's phone number is (410) 822-4567. Directions for parking will be posted on Rt. 50 east and west.

--Anne McNulty

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Stellar A Cappella
The Avalon Theatre will host a real treat of the vocal beat. Rockapella, long regarded as a prominent vocal pop group with a penchant for pizzazz, visits Easton on November 30. The former Brown University students (class of '86) took up street performing as a means to earn pocket cash and soon began to perform for parties and business clients. One thing led to another and eventually they landed appearances on the Regis & Kathy Show, Carmen Sandiego, and a recording contract. (410) 547-SEAT or www.avalontheatre.com.

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Rigged for a Great Time
Chestertown celebrates its 300th anniversary, coinciding with DownRigging Weekend, November 3-5. The event celebrates the close of the sailing season of Sultana, a 1768 reproduction schooner, with traditional sailing vessels from around the Chesapeake gathering in the port of Chestertown, which was founded in 1706. (410) 778-5954 or www.schoonersultana.org.

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A Bivalve Bash!
The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels comes alive on November 4 for its 19th Annual Oyster Festival. It's one of the Eastern Shore's most popular fall events. You can dine on raw, steamed, and fried oysters and learn proper oyster shucking, tonging, and nippering techniques. Live music, boat rides, cooking demos, children's activities, crafts, and more round out the celebration of the oyster. (410) 745-2916 or www.cbmm.org.

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Birds of a Feather
Photographers and bird-watching enthusiasts are invited to flock to Pocomoke River State Park in Snow Hill on November 11 for the Feathers of Focus Birds of Prey Photo Shoot. Captive birds of prey will be displayed in a fall-color landscape for photographers to capture true wildlife photos without the need of a wildlife blind. Featured birds include red-tailed hawk, a turkey vulture, and many species of owls. (410) 632-2566 or www.dnr.state.md.us.

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Bright Boating, Holiday Style
An annual favorite, the Kent Narrows Holiday Boat Parade, will take place on November 25. Powerboats, sailboats, and workboats decorated for Christmas will parade through Kent Narrows. Judged on originality, display of lights, and overall appearance, the boats begin parading at 6 p.m. (410) 643-1977 or (410) 643-1858.