Alton Eagle Ice Fest Kicks Off

Start of Eagle Season Jan. 2 & 3

The great American Bald Eagle winter migration is here and southwest Illinois is ready to welcome the birds to their winter homes. The Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau is hosting a two-day party in downtown Alton Friday, Jan. 2 and Saturday, Jan. 3 launching the official start of Eagle Season.

The free Annual Alton Eagle Ice Festival will be held Friday, Jan. 2 from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. and on Saturday, Jan. 3 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at FLOCK Food Truck Park, 210 Ridge St., Alton, along the banks of the Mississippi River. Eagle focused activities will also be held at the Audubon Center at Riverlands and the National Great Rivers Museum in Alton on Jan. 3.

“Eagle Fest is a great way to kick off Eagle Season and gives people the chance to celebrate the return of American Bald Eagles to the region for winter,” said Cory Jobe, President/CEO of the Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau. “

The fun begins on Friday, Jan. 2 at 5 p.m. A variety of food trucks will be on site at FLOCK ready to serve up dinner and snacks. Drinks can be purchased from the FLOCK Craft Cocktail Bar. A fire performer will take center stage from 6 to 9 p.m. An ice carving competition kicks off at 6 p.m. and live music from Hollywood 5 will begin at 7 p.m. Throughout the evening, there will be face painting for the kids and s’mores kits will be available for purchase to use at the on-site fire pits.

Activities continue Saturday, Jan. 3 with a free Eagle Meet & Greet event at FLOCK Food Truck Park where an American Bald Eagle from World Bird Sanctuary, will be on hand with its handler to welcome visitors. Learn more about bald eagles and take photos during this event. IceMan Tools ice carvers will also be at FLOCK creating a live ice sculpture during the event. Free face painting for kids is also on tap. S’mores kits will again be available for purchase so festival goers can enjoy s’mores by the fire pits.

Also, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., there will be family-friendly activities at the Audubon Center at Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary, 301 Riverlands Way, West Alton and National Great Rivers Museum, #2 Locks & Dam Way, Alton.

The Audubon Center will have outdoor learning activities about eagles and nature along the birding sanctuary’s trails. There will also be guided bird hikes and exploration of the trails at Riverlands along with firepits, make and take crafts, and ticketed meet and greet sessions with an American Bald Eagle from World Bird Sanctuary. The Eagle Meet & Greet sessions are $10 per person.

The National Great Rivers Museum will celebrate Eagle Fest with children’s crafts, open tours of the Melvin Price Locks and Dam every 30 minutes and a free movie showcasing eagles in the museum’s theater.

A new Eagle Passport will be available during the festival. This free passport encourages people to explore shopping opportunities in downtown Alton. A free shuttle will be available for passport stops. Passport holders who visit at least five shops and make a $10 or more purchase will receive a stamp at each stop. Once five stamps are collected, passports can be redeemed at the Alton Visitor Center for a prize.

Eagle Watching Shuttle Tours will also kick off on Saturday, Jan. 3 in Alton. The tours will be held every Saturday in January and the first two weeks in February. Enjoy a two-hour guided shuttle tour highlighting eagle watching hot spots. Tours begin at 10 a.m. and end at Noon at the Alton Visitor Center, 200 Piasa St. Tickets are $22.50 per person and must be purchased online in advance. Tickets for the tours are available for purchase here: https://www.riversandroutes.com/things-to-do/buy-tickets/

Book Your Eagle Watching Tours in Alton

It won’t be long before the iconic American Bald Eagles return to their winter homes in southwest Illinois so make plans now to take your winter eagle watching adventure to the next level with a guided eagle watching shuttle tour available in Alton starting Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026.

Every January, experts anticipate as many as 1,000 bald eagles will migrate to the area reclaiming their winter roosts along the Meeting of the Great Rivers National Scenic Byway just outside St. Louis in Illinois.

To celebrate the return of this majestic bird, the Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau has planned six Saturdays of guided shuttle tours to help eagle watchers discover the best places to view the wintering birds.

Starting Saturday, Jan. 3, tours will be available starting and ending from the Alton Visitor Center, 200 Piasa St., Alton, and traveling to the best eagle watching points on the Great River Road. The tours start at 10 a.m. and will last two hours.

Tours will take place each Saturday through Feb. 14. Tickets are $22.50 per person and should be purchased in advance here: https://www.riversandroutes.com/things-to-do/buy-tickets/ or by visiting www.RiversandRoutes.com .

“Eagle watching guided tours are a great way to celebrate the winter tourism season,” Cory Jobe, President & CEO of the Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau noted. “We want to encourage people to take an eagle watching road trip to visit the region and guided tours are a large part of that adventure. Seeing eagles in the wild is a one-of-a-kind experience that really seems to light up outdoor activities in southwest Illinois.”

For more information on other eagle watching activities in the Great Rivers & Routes region, visit: www.riversandroutes.com.

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