Certified master bander Mark Armstrong tends gently to a tufted titmouse shortly before turning his attention to a hummingbird at the 2021 Ijams Hummingbird Festival, set this year for Aug. 17. Thomas Fraser/Hellbender Press
KNOXVILLE — Ijams Nature Center’s 14th annual Ijams Hummingbird Festival: A Celebration of Wings will bring back its popular marketplace and add new activities to its offerings from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 17.
A general admission ticket provides access to educational booths and activities, dip netting, live animal encounters, and a kids’ nature zone where children and families can create arts projects and crafts, conduct experiments, and more. Community science opportunities, guided nature walks, and new hands-on workshops also will be offered.
General admission tickets are $12 for adults (ages 13+) and $9 for children ages 3-12. Children under 3 are free. Ijams Nature Center members receive a 10 percent discount on the festival ticket price.
This year’s festival also brings back the marketplace, featuring handcrafted art, nature-themed items, local plants, and garden décor, as well as speaker sessions.
Attendees can choose to schedule a bird-banding demonstration for an additional charge. Each small group will get the opportunity for an up-close look at a hummingbird or another bird in a small-group setting with master bander Mark Armstrong. He will weigh, measure, band, and talk about the birds before allowing one person in each group to release the bird.
Bird banding demonstrations are offered in 30-minute sessions starting at 7 a.m.; the last appointment is 12 p.m. Your best chance to see a ruby-throated hummingbird being banded is during the earlier appointments.
The 14th annual Ijams Hummingbird Festival: A Celebration of Wings is sponsored by Accenture, HomeTrust Bank, Stanley’s Greenhouse, Tennessee Wildlife Federation, and Wild Birds Unlimited Maryville.