Alton Eagle Ice Festival

In grand fashion, the Alton Eagle Ice Festival celebrates the return of wintering bald eagles to southwest Illinois.

At FLOCK Food Truck Park, enjoy eagle-watching shuttle tours, food, drinks, DJ tunes, live ice-carving demonstrations and fire pits with s’more kits. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., you can also meet a majestic bald eagle from the World Bird Sanctuary.

The National Great Rivers Museum, another site of the celebration, will offer talks by eagle experts, spotting scopes that give you a chance to view eagle nests, eagle-themed crafts and other family-friendly activities.

If you want to see even more birds of prey, stop by the Audubon Center at Riverlands, where you can embark on a guided bird hike, or take a tour of the Lewis & Clark Confluence Tower, where you can spot bald eagles from 50, 100 and 150 feet in the air!