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October 19 – 22, 2023
Registration is CLOSED
Please contact Shannon DeAngelis at
[email protected]
with any questions
The Nature Place at Cape May Convention Hall
This year we’re excited to again be hosting Animal Adventures with Nature Nick, who has live birds and other animals on display throughout the festival weekend, and three special shows each day.

Nature Nick Has Multiple Shows Per Day
Oct 20-22
Convention Hall Hours
Fri: 11am – 3pm
Sat: 10am – 5pm
Sun: 10am – 3pm
The Convention Hall is open to the public and free
Check Out All Our Partners at The Convention Hall
Kowa Sport Optics
Leica
Swarovski
ZEISS
Vortex Optics
Celestron
Bushnell
Beaumont CVB & Port Arthur CVB
Birding Uganda
Canopy Family, Panama
Icaro Birding Tours to Colombia
Little St. Simon’s Island
Natural Selections Tours
Sabrewing Nature Tours
Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival
Spring Chirp/Valley Nature Center
Victor Emanuel Nature Tours
Wildside Nature Tours
Princeton University Press
Cape Gift Basket LLC/ Cheryl Priest
Cathy Cramer Wildlife Pottery
Laura Wolf, Artist
Nature’s Décor LLC
Onymari
Painted Lady Quilts
Treasured Forever Fiber Studio
Worn By The Sea
Swallowtail Studio
The Birdhouse Brand
OM SYSTEM
Hunts Photo
New Jersey Audubon Cape May Bird Observatory
New Jersey Audubon Nature Center of Cape May
American Birding Association
Greenwich Teaburners Tea, LLC.
Terra Project
Convention Hall Hours
Fri: 11am – 3pm
Sat: 10am – 5pm
Sun: 10am – 3pm
The Convention Hall is open to the public and free

A wide selection of guided field trips, with our extremely talented local naturalists.
Indoor programs and outdoor workshops, both educational and entertaining.
The Nature Place at Cape May Convention Hall will have selected vendors with Optics, nature themed vendors, tour companies and live animal show with Nature Nick.
Please click Here to learn more about Nature Nick.
Viewing stations carefully curated for an optimum bird watching experience!
Thursday Evening Kick off party!
Friday VIP Reception @ Convention Hall
Keynote Speaker Peter Harrison’s evening presentation and book signing with plentiful appetizers
At the top of the page, click Agenda to view the schedule of activities, The Nature Place to learn more about Convention Hall and our vendors.

For an additional fee, these special events can be added to your registration. Please view the Agenda Tab for more details.
- Leader’s Choice Trolley Trips
- Triple Play Bus Trips
- Back Bay Birding by Boat aboard The Osprey
- Trip to the Rips, 3 Hour Pelagic Birding by boat trip, aboard the American Star
- Exclusive birding to be announced!
The following information is provided to help you make your travel plans.
We have a block of rooms at the Grand Hotel that fill up quickly so we recommend booking your stay as soon as is possible at the Grand or another hotel.
We have some helpful links below:
Most of our local birding sites are within 15 minutes driving distance of The Grand Hotel and many other hotels in the heart of Cape May. We will have check-in, information and indoor programs at the Grand Hotel, and the birding trips take place at multiple sites within the town and county.
Plan to arrive during the day on Thursday, October 19th and depart the area around 5 pm on Sunday, October 22nd – or stay until Monday! Registration for three days is about $250 with most programs included. Special trips like boats, buses and trollies are an additional $35 – $45 each.
If you travel by air, you will need to rent a vehicle as attendees are responsible for transportation during this festival. If you take any form of public transportation to the Cape May area, the closest car rental is Enterprise Rent-A-Car in Rio Grande, NJ, about five miles north of Cape May. They are very friendly and accommodating.
You should plan to depart the area after your final program on Sunday, the last of which concludes at 5:00 pm. Or stay a few extra days and enjoy all Cape May has to offer!
We will open for check-in in the Wicker Room at the Grand Hotel at around noon on Thursday the 19th. It is important that you pick up your nametag, which is your “ticket” to participate throughout the weekend. We can also answer any questions you may have about the festival and the surrounding area. The festivities will begin with a Kick-off Party at the Rusty Nail from 5 pm to 8 pm, where we’ll be raffling off a Kowa scope. Your registration includes a plentiful buffet and a cash bar will be available.
Starting early morning Friday the 20th, there will be birding field trips, boat rides and more, led by our amazing local naturalists.
Friday evening from 4 pm to 7 pm, we will hold a VIP reception at Cape May Convention Hall, which will be open to registrants only. We’ll provide some snacks and you’ll want to bring some cash to enjoy the libations of local favorite, Mudhen Brewery, and to buy a chance to win a pair of Leica Trinovid binoculars. Of course, there will also be all kind of temptations offered by a variety of nature-themed vendors.
The Saturday evening keynote presentation will take place at the local high school’s spacious and modern auditorium. We’ll provide refreshments and you’ll enjoy the presentation by Peter Harrison, author and world-famous sea bird expert, who has travelled the world and has been to Antarctica over 250 times!
End your festival experience with the 3-hour (2 pm to 5 pm) Trip to the Rips boat ride that explores just off the coast of Cape May and makes a loop back through the Cape May Canal. Or do the driving loop at the stunning Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge about 45 minutes north of Cape May.
In addition to all the activities you may choose from, Cape May Convention Hall will be open all weekend and rebranded as “The Nature Place.” The Nature Place showcases vendors, our silent auction, and will host a live animal show by Nature Nick’s Animal Adventures.
And don’t forget, New Jersey Audubon and Cape May Bird Observatory members receive a 10% discount
on their entire registration as well as a one-week advance opening, so it’s worth considering as many of our field trips reach capacity. Either way, the sooner you register, the better!
Featuring Saturday Evening Keynote by Peter Harrison
Presentation: Ocean Nomads: The Albatrosses

Peter Harrison, renowned seabird expert, author, artist, and conservationist, has written and illustrated over a dozen books. His latest, SEABIRDS: The New Identification Guide, published in 2021, is a comprehensive guide to the world’s 434 seabird species and the culmination of a lifetime dedicated to seabirding.
Why Peter is excited to go to Cape May for Fall Festival 2023?
Peter Harrison last visited Cape May in the Spring of 1991 whilst visiting his close friend, Alan Brady, with whom he had shared many birding adventures including expeditions to the Humboldt Region and Antarctica. It has always been an ambition of Peter’s to return to Cape May and experience its legendary fall magic.
So.Much.To.Do
Field Trips * Trolley Trips * Indoor Programs * Boat Trips
Raptors * Shorebirds * Songbirds * Seabirds
So. Many. Birds.



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