The Bald Eagle Festival in Haines is set to start on Friday. This year the tourism office is stepping in to organize the event. We spoke with tourism director Reba Hylton about the details.
This summer the Bald Eagle Foundation approached the Haines tourism office to ask for help putting on the Bald Eagle Festival. Reba Hylton is the tourism director. She says with the approval of the manager, the office’s staff decided to take it on.
Hylton: “And I’m pretty excited that we did, because it’s already proven to be a success.”
Hylton says the town is fully booked on Saturday night, every hotel room, every short-term rental has been reserved.
Hylton:” We’ve got quite a few Yukoners coming down, and they’ll be camping, and some of that is because they can’t find rooms, but they are also diehards so that’s great.”
Hylton says attendance at the festival has been low for the last few years, a pattern that predates the pandemic. She says she sees this year as an opportunity to rebuild the event. To do this, the tourism office tried to involve as many community members as possible.
Hylton: “It’s easier to feel welcome if you know somebody that’s serving ice cream at the Chilkat Center on Saturday, or part of the fundraising for Haines Huts, that kind of thing.”
On the program, there are talks, children’s activities, a movie, pancakes, and some beer. And a bunch of eagles.
Hylton: “I’ve been up the highway a few times and there is quite a few bald eagles that are here already, so that’s wonderful.”
Hylton says she expects that in the coming years the Chamber of Commerce and the Bald Eagle Foundation will go back to playing a more active role in organizing the event. The festivities begin on Friday afternoon and will last until Sunday. Tickets are available online.
