By Marcy Melville, Shorebird Festival Coordinator
Spring comes fast in Homer, and so do the birds. The 2026 Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival will return May 6–10, with five full days of birding, learning, art, and community.
This year’s festival keeps the heart of what people love, with a few highlights we can’t wait to share. With nearly 200 events during the festival, there is plenty to be excited about. Registration opens March 20th at 11:00 AM, so mark your calendars! Printed programs will be available for pickup at the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center in early March and will also be available on the Shorebird Festival website.
This year’s featured artist is Yumi Kawaguchi, whose festival artwork features the American Golden Plover. Yumi’s beautiful work is known for its detail, warmth, and woodcut style. During the festival, she will be hosting an artist workshop as well as participating in the MotherBird Fair. Learn more about Yumi and where to meet her during the festival here.Our 2026 keynote speaker is Alvaro Jaramillo, a biologist, guide, and educator with decades of experience birding and studying birds across the Americas. Alvaro will be part of several festival events, including his keynote talk, where he will share how birders use different ways of thinking to see and understand birds. He’ll also be introducing this year’s festival film, Listers: A Glimpse Into Extreme Birdwatching, which he appears in. Learn more about Alvaro and his role in the festival here.
More details will be shared soon as spring approaches. Until then, enjoy the longer days and the quiet before the birds return.
The American Golden Plover, featured bird of the 2026 Festival, as portrayed by Festival Artist Yumi Kawaguchi. This lovely art will be featured on shirts, sweatshirts and other products coming soon.