Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge 50th Anniversary Festival
Join us for a day of:
- Guided nature walks, bus tours and bike rides
- Educational programs about the history, wildlife, and land management
- Theater performance: A Place of Our Own, Maroon Story
- Nansemond Indian Tribe Dance Demonstration
- Live animals
- Family fun activities such as archery, be a wildland firefighter, inflatable axe
throwing, scavenger hunt, and arts and crafts - Food vendors
All events are free. Registration required for guided tours. Please check the registration website often as spots open up when there are cancellations. We look forward to seeing you at the refuge!
Registration Open Until September 19th, 2024
ONLINE REGISTRATION ONLY.
Here's how it works in 3 easy steps:
1) Click this link to see 50th Festival Registration on SignUp.com: https://signup.com/go/kWiCphy
2) Review the options listed and choose the activities you would like.
3) Sign up! It's easy - you will NOT need to register an account or keep a password on
SignUp.com. Be sure to add your email.
4) You must choose the number of participants- CHOOSE 1 IF IT IS JUST YOURSELF!
Schedule of Events - Saturday, September 21
Guided Bike Rides - 8:00 AM and 11:00 AM
Bring your bike for either a 10-mile guided ride along the historic logging roads (gravel and dirt), or a 4-mile family friendly ride along Jericho Ditch Lane (fine gravel). Both will be a slow pace to learn about the unique ecosystem and fauna of the Great Dismal Swamp!
Registration required
Times:
-10-mile is at 8:00 AM (approximately 2 hours)
- 4-mile is at 11:00 AM (approximately 1 hour)
Location: Front (new) Jericho Lane parking area (1330 White Marsh Road, Suffolk, VA)
Guided Nature Walks at Two Different Locations - 9:30 AM and 2:00 PM
Looking to get an on-the-ground experience learning about the natural fauna and history of the great dismal swamp? Join us for a guided nature walk!
Registration required. Approximately 1 hour.
Location: Washington Ditch Trailhead (3076 White Marsh Road, Suffolk, VA)
Location: Front (new) Jericho Lane parking area (1330 White Marsh Road, Suffolk, VA)
Guided Lake Drummond Wildlife Drive Bus Tours - 9:30 AM and 1:30 PM
Take a ride on our open-air tram! Join us for a tour to Lake Drummond via Wildlife Drive and learn about the unique ecosystem, wildlife, and history of the Great Dismal Swamp!
Registration required. Approximately 2 hours.
Location: Board the tram at Refuge HQ parking lot (3100 Desert Road, Suffolk, VA)
Main Festival Site: Front (New) Jericho Lane Trailhead
1330 White Marsh Road, Suffolk, VA
Performances - 10:00 AM 11:00 PM 1:00 PM and 2:00 PM
- A Place of Our Own; 10:00 AM and 1:00 PM
What hardships would you endure to live free. . . to have a place to call your own. . . to create a community where all are equal. Let Mark Carman’s original musical arrangement carry you deep into the Great Dismal Swamp as History Alive weaves this fascinating tale in monologue, vignette, and song!
Location: Pavilion (limited seating available) - Nansemond Indian Tribe Dance Demonstration & Program; 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM
Experience a Tribal celebratory dance demonstration and educational program about the Nansemond Indian Tribe and their connection to the dismal swamp.
Location: Pavilion (limited seating available)
Presentations - 10:00 AM 11:00 PM 1:00 PM and 2:00 PM
- The Great Dismal Swamp NWR from Past to Present; 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM
Chris Lowie, Great Dismal Swamp NWR Manager, will discuss the challenges and successes of working in this unique ecosystem with a fascinating past. From catastrophic wildfires, plane crashes and train wrecks to endangered species, globally rare trees and boot-sucking mud, the Swamp has it all. Learn about 50 years of management.
Location: Main Event Tent - Wildlife of the Great Dismal Swamp; 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM
Susan Stanley, Great Dismal Swamp NWR Biologist, will share information about the wild animals that make the swamp their home. Come hear about the birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, insects and their habitats. Learn about the endangered species found at the refuge.
Location: Main Event Tent - Dedication of the New Jericho Lane Trailhead - 12:00 PM (noon)
Be a part of the excitement as Refuge staff and partners share the successes to date and future vision for the new Jericho Lane Trailhead. Meet the partners and supporters that have made this vision come to reality
Location: Pavilion (limited seating available)
Exhibitor Tables and Family Activities - 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Stop by for some education and fun! We will have partner exhibits, live raptors, refreshments, and family fun activities such as archery, be a wildland firefighter, axe throwing, scavenger hunt, and arts and crafts. There is something for everyone.
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