Winter Wildlife Festival
Join us in January for a month-long celebration of coastal wildlife and nature featuring a flock of engaging programs to embrace our coastal beauty.
All City of Virginia Beach community recreation centers will close at noon on Tuesday, Dec. 24 and remain closed on Wednesday, Dec. 25 for the Christmas holiday. City parks will be open from sunrise to noon on Dec. 24 and closed on Dec. 25. All recreation centers and parks will reopen with normal operating hours on Thursday, Dec. 26.
Learn MoreJoin us in January for a month-long celebration of coastal wildlife and nature featuring a flock of engaging programs to embrace our coastal beauty.
Registration for the 2025 Winter Wildlife Festival opens on Nov. 15. Join the Facebook group to stay up to date, or check out highlights from the 2024 festival below.
*All trips and excursions that require registration include a $5, non-refundable, administrative fee.
Join us on Jan. 25 at PARC from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. for the Festival Kickoff! Visit wildlife-related vendors in the Exhibit Hall, let the kids participate in various children's activities, catch a free walk-up workshop, peruse the silent auction area and enjoy a treat from the on-site food vendors. Don't forget to stop by the neighboring Princess Anne Library and check out their festival activities!
Princess Anne Rec Center | Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
No pre-registration is required!
Walk-up workshops at the Winter Wildlife Exhibit Hall are free, no registration required and appropriate for ages 10 & up.
The Winter Wildlife Committee reserves the right to determine who will be accepted as an exhibitor. To be considered as an exhibitor, organizations or businesses must relate to one of the following categories:
Interested vendors that meet these requirements can reach out to the special events office at (757) 385-2990 or email outdoors@vbgov.com. Please note submission of the application does not guarantee a space at the exhibit hall.
Meyera E. Oberndorf Central Library
Sunday, Jan. 26 at 7 p.m.
Free, no registration required
Dr. Mamie Parker spent her career as a fish and wildlife biologist and served as the former Head of Fisheries for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Dr. Parker’s work focuses on building bridges with nontraditional partners in the conservation community and advocating for more women in Wild STEM careers.
Her achievements have earned her numerous industry board positions, leadership roles, and lifetime achievement awards, including the Arkansas Outdoor Hall of Fame and recognition in the Smithsonian Institute’s book, Women, Environmentalism and Justice.
Special thanks to Coastal Virginia Wildlife Observatory (CVWO).
Show off your photography skills and celebrate the beauty of coastal Virginia in the Winter Wildlife Festival Photo Contest! Open to all ages, this is your chance to capture stunning wildlife, scenic landscapes, or moments from the festival itself, with photos taken between Jan. 1 and Feb. 3, 2025. Winning photos will be displayed at the MEO Central Library gallery in March for the whole community to enjoy.
Whether you’re just starting out or you’ve been snapping photos for years, this contest is for you.
Submissions open at 9 a.m. EST on Jan. 1.
Wildlife Action: Debbi Babashanian
Landscape/Scenic: Catherine Johnson
Festival in Action: Dean Shostak
Wildlife Portrait: Jason Crawley
Youth: Norah C., Age 8
People’s Choice: Shawn Brooks
Finger Gym | 5 p.m. | Bayside Library | Ages 3-7 | Register for Finger Gym
Photography 101 | 10:30 a.m. | Princess Anne Library | Register for Photography 101
Elementary Science: Winter Wildlife | 4:30 p.m. | Joint Use Library | Grades K-2 | Register for Elementary Science
Preschool Science: Winter Wildlife | 2 p.m. | Oceanfront Library | Ages 3-5 | Register for Preschool Science
Learn & Paint a Decoy | 7 p.m. | Atlantic Wildfowl Heritage Museum | Register for Learn & Paint a Decoy
Preschool Science: Winter Wildlife | 11:15 a.m. | Great Neck Library | Ages 3-5 | Register for Preschool Science
Named after Mary Reid Barrow, who devoted her entire career to engaging the public about our natural environment, the Wildlife Advocate Award was created in 2020 as a way to honor those in our community that strive to make a difference for wildlife and the environment.
Barrow's weekly columns made nature relatable to the average person and she was a gentle, but tireless, advocate for wildlife. She continues to serve the community through her involvement with environmental non-profits and campaigns.