Waterfowl Festival

Easton, MD

Just one year shy of its 50th anniversary, the annual Waterfowl Festival returns to Easton, Maryland, bringing in more than 15,000 visitors for a weekend devoted to the art of aquatic-dwelling birds and other wildlife. The festival, which supports wildlife conservation throughout the region, is an enduring tradition that honors the yearly migration of geese through the Atlantic flyway.

This November 8 to 10, visitors can view artwork from more than 85 artists across the region and the world, including Richard Clifton, Jill Basham, Mary Konchar, Jeff Rechin, Paul Rhymer, Sandra Alanko, Sandy Scott and many others. The 2019 featured artist is figurative and landscape painter Nancy Tankersley, who has lived in Easton for 15 years. “As a resident of Easton, I’m privileged to see the excitement build as our little town is transformed into the site of a major art and conservation festival,” says Tankersley. Her signature painting for the festival is an oil on linen, Podgin’ for Oysters, which pays homage to the watermen of the Eastern Shore while acknowledging the balance between environmentalism and those who work on the water for their livelihood. “I especially like painting watermen who are hand-tonging for oysters the way it has been done for over 250 years,” she says. “Not only does it take good ‘sea legs’ and a strong back, it seems to me that there is a particular grace, akin to a well-trained athlete, in the movements of the waterman who is balancing on the edge of the boat...in this painting he is ‘feeling’ or ‘podgin’’ for the oysters and gently raking them into a pile...so that when he grasps the tongs with both hands and heaves the loaded basket up with all of his strength, the effort will have been worth it!”

A wide variety of activities will be held throughout the three-day event, including a wine, beer and tasting pavilion in downtown Easton, a painting class called “Wine and Watercolors,” live music and more. In addition to its appeal as a wildlife art showcase, the

Waterfowl Festival is also a sportsman’s expo, giving outdoor enthusiasts the opportunity to check out various sporting vendors, as well as the usual retriever and fly fishing demonstrations held at the Bay Street Ponds. The World Waterfowl Calling Championships are set to take place on November 9.

“The Waterfowl Festival continues to be the highlight of the year for residents and visitors to this part of Maryland,” says festival board president Kevin Greaney. “We look forward to presenting another year of family fun and showcasing the art and other festival traditions inspired by our Eastern Shore heritage.”

The 48th Annual Waterfowl Festival Opening Ceremonies will be held on Thursday, November 8 at 4 p.m. All proceeds from the 2019 event will support the preservation of the Eastern Shore.

Artists and attendees can engage in lively conversation at the yearly event.

The colors of autumn leaves create a dazzling scene during the 2018 Waterfowl Festival in Easton, Maryland.

Sandy Scott, Little Blue on a Branch-little Blue Heron, bronze, 20”

Nancy Tankersley, Podgin’ for Oysters, oil on linen, 48 x 36”

Sandy Scott, Pintail Arrival, bronze, 16 x 12 x 27”