2026 Headlands Birding Festival

The third annual Headlands Birding Festival will take place this fall from September 18-20. This multi-day festival continues to grow in size and demand! Registration Opens July 1st!
The birding festival celebrates fall migration as birds travel thousands of miles to their wintering grounds, as far away as South America. The Headlands/Mentor Marsh region hosts some of the highest diversity and volume of migratory birds in the state, with 352 species documented in Lake County.
This is an inclusive event for people of all backgrounds, ages, and experience levels.
Visitors can join bird walks guided by knowledgeable birders, attend talks on a variety of bird-related topics, buy from nature-focused vendors, and get to know the Headlands Beach State Park and Mentor Marsh areas better.
The festival is hosted by Blackbrook Audubon Society, Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Friends of Headlands Beach State Park, City of Mentor Natural Resources, Lake Metroparks, Tour Lake County and The Holden Arboretum.
Visit headlandsbirdingfestival.com/ for more information. Registration will open on July 1, 2026.
If interested in volunteering, becoming a sponsor, or being a vendor, please click the "Get Involved" tab on the festival homepage and fill out the form or send an email to headlandsbirdingfestival@gmail.com.