For 38 years I have enjoyed the Waterfowl Festival, in good and bad weather, with large and small crowds, in strong and battered economies.
Regardless of receipts and attendance, the show does one thing so particularly well: it shows off Easton and brings the community together. Just talk to attendees, as I did over the brisk weekend from California, Newark, DE, Bel Air, MD, Pasadena, MD and right here in Talbot County, and the refrain is often the same: we just love visiting Easton and enjoying a festival devoted to birds.
Young families with children and dogs in tow stroll downtown streets. And so do others of all ages for whom the Waterfowl Festival is a must-attend event in the fall season.
You walk along Harrison Street, closed to vehicle traffic, and you pick up a good feeling, either in your own conversation with friends and those you overhear. While admiring the incredible talent on display in the form of paintings, carvings, photographs and sculptures, attendees seem genuinely pleased to experience a 44-year-old show that ranks as one of the best in the world.
While the food might not be artistic, it surely is tasty, whether it is oyster fritters or crab soup, or clam chowder or fried oysters, or clam strips and French fries. Or pit beef and turkey. After all, you can’t survive on art alone.
My observations gleaned from conversations with festival volunteers and exhibitors indicated that sales were good. Attendance was down a bit, so I understand.
I love to walk around, talk to old friends, and meet new ones while manning the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy table in the Waterfowl Chesapeake tent for a shift on Friday, Nov. 14. My favorite exhibit is Buy, Sell and Swap at Easton High School., perhaps because of its informality and easy chatter among exhibitors and attendees.
I bought two hand-carved shorebirds from Jimmy Bowden, who has exhibited for 26 years at the Waterfowl Festival. Jimmy and his wife live in Assawoman, VA. No hard sell, mind you, just a casual transaction. These birds join a slew of others purchased over the years at the festival.
This weekend I also enjoyed the Harry M. Walsh Waterfowling Artifacts exhibit, located as well at the high school. I spoke with both John Sullivan and Henry Stansbury, friends whose collections of old decoys, photographs and guns are fascinating and filled with great history about Maryland. These men love history; all you have to do is listen and appreciate.
At the outset I talked about the Waterfowl Festival as a terrific community event, pulling town and county residents together as volunteers and attendees. The feeling of belonging is palpable. The feeling of pride is evident. The contribution of more than $5 million to waterfowl conservation is noteworthy.
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