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The Fraser Valley Bald Eagle Festival

Discover the Valley of the Eagles- Mission B.C. Canada

This ever growing Festival takes place the third weekend in November in one of the most beautiful and rich estuarys in British Columbia. Deep in the heart of “Sasquatch Country” you will find North America’s third largest gathering of bald eagles. The millions of spawning salmon that travel up the Fraser River and its tributaries and relatively mild winter climate is what attracts up to 3000 eagles to the area. The estuary is also home to incredible wildlife such as trumpeter swans, ducks, seal, bear, coyote, deer and the great white sturgeon.

For thousands of years the First Nation Peoples have lived here in harmony with the land and water and today they work with the Fraser Valley Bald Eagle Festival to welcome visitors to teach and share the knowledge they have gained over the ages.

The festival’s roots go back to 1995, when the Habitat Conservation Trust Fund and the Wild Bird Trust, spear headed by April Mol, set out to create the Harrison/Chehalis Bald Eagle Festival.

In 1998, thanks to increased community involvement and new partnerships a small but very enthusiastic committee sprang to life. The committee worked to broaden the scope of the Festival and changed the name to form its new identity – Fraser Valley Bald Eagle Festival (FVBEF).

The FVBEF is now a registered society and works hard each year to create a celebration that showcases the beauty & biodiversity of the Fraser River Valley by honouring the majestic Bald Eagle & the Cycle of the Salmon.

From Mission to Chilliwack, many exciting venues offer excellent eagle watching opportunities and a range of activities and adventures that include jet boat eco-river safaris,a Chehalis River walking tour; a diverse abundance of local wildlife; environmental presentations, naturalists and interpreters; historic and ancient aboriginal sites; displays by local artists; and lots of hands on activities and entertainment.