Join Us for the First Annual Bird Costume Contest!

Celebrate Birds, Creativity, and Learning at the Browns Creek Community Event & Bird Festival

Get ready to ruffle some feathers—in the most festive way possible! The first annual Bird Costume Contest is taking flight as part of the Browns Creek Community Event & Bird Festival, and you're invited to join the flock.

All types of costumes are welcome—store-bought, handmade, or a mix of both! While we strongly encourage participants to include an educational or STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) component in their costumes—especially for youth entries—adults are free to let their creativity soar. Accuracy is optional; the real goal is to have fun and celebrate our feathered friends in a way that sparks curiosity and imagination.

Creating a bird costume isn’t just a fun craft project—it’s a hands-on STEAM learning experience!

• Start with Science by observing native birds of the St. Croix Valley—like the vibrant goldfinch, graceful heron, or curious chickadee—and learning how different species live, communicate, and fly.

  
  

• Use Technology and Engineering to think like an inventor: How do birds fly? How do their feathers and wing shapes help them glide, hover, or dive? Try building wings that move or stay balanced using household materials. 

  
  

•  Bring in Art by sketching your favorite bird and recreating its colors, textures, and patterns, inspired by what you see in local parks or on ahike. 

  
  

• With Math, explore the symmetry of wings and tails, measure wingspans, or calculate the angles that help birds soar.

It’s creativity in action: rooted in nature, grounded in discovery, and powered by imagination.

Saturday, September 20, 2025

10:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Browns Creek Park, Stillwater

Add To Calendar

This free, family-friendly celebration of birds, community, and conservation features:

• Live raptors (including a Bald Eagle!) courtesy of The Raptor Center

• Interactive exhibits and hands-on kids' activities

• Bird Costume Contest with prizes for both adults and kids (plus sweet treats for everyone in costume!)

This year’s theme, “Shared Spaces: Creating Bird-Friendly Cities and Communities,” ties into World Migratory Bird Day and highlights simple actions we can take—like restoring native habitat, preventing window collisions, and reducing nighttime light pollution—to make our communities safer for birds and people.

Hosted by the Browns Creek Watershed District in partnership with Bird City Stillwater | Sustainable Stillwater MN, this event also brings together local partners like Tropical Wings, the St. Croix Valley Bird Club, and the Sally Manzara Interpretive Nature Center for a day of exploration, creativity, and fun in nature.

Whether you’re a seasoned birder or bird-curious beginner, come learn, create, and celebrate the amazing birds that connect our communities and inspire wonder in all ages.