Blackbird Creek Fall Festival on Saturday, Oct. 19

Blackbird Creek Fall Festival on Saturday, Oct. 19
celebrates one of Delaware’s outdoor treasures

DNREC  press release ….. TOWNSEND (Oct. 7, 2013) –  Autumn’s vibrant foliage, the pristine waters and lush landscape of Blackbird Creek Reserve will be showcased 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19 at the Blackbird Creek Fall Festival. The festival is being held, rain or shine, at the Blackbird Creek Reserve – 801 Blackbird Landing Road near Townsend – one of the most treasured natural areas in Delaware.

“The festival is free and offers something for the entire family,” said Jennifer Holmes, festival coordinator. “We encourage people to come and explore this scenic area – by foot and hayride – and enjoy the musical talents of Crabmeat Thompson and the Bog Turtle Band, who will entertain us on our festival stage. Bring a blanket or some chairs and join us for the day!”

The festival features guided hikes, hayrides, free face painting, kids crafts and hands-on activities, a hay maze, local artisans, Native American and blacksmith demonstrations, colonial games and loads of fun along the beautiful Blackbird Creek. Local food vendors will also be on-site to provide refreshments for purchase.

Beginning at 9 a.m., the Delaware Invasive Species Council  will hold the Race for Our Rivers 5K Run and Fun Walk at the Reserve’s cross country course to benefit projects that protect our water and land ecosystems by preventing the introduction and spread of invasive species.

For more information on the Blackbird Creek Fall Festival, contact Jennifer Holmes, Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve, 302-739-6377 or visit http://de.gov/blackbirdfestival.
For information on the Race for Our Rivers 5K, visit http://www.active.com  (search Race for Our Rivers).

For more information:

Visit us on the web http://www.dnrec.delaware.gov/coastal/DNERR
Join us on facebook http://www.facebook.com/DNERR/
Follow us on twitter http://www.twitter.com/DNERR

The Blackbird Creek Reserve and St. Jones Reserve are two components of the Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve (DNERR), a cooperative program between the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, Delaware Coastal Programs and theNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The Blackbird Creek and St. Jones Reserves include both brackish and freshwater estuaries, and represent the diverse estuarine ecosystems found throughout the Mid-Atlantic. On Sept. 28, 2013 DNERR celebrated its 20^th anniversary and the federal/state partnership in advancing Delaware’s coastal and estuarine conservation, research and education.

This project is part of DNREC’s Delaware Bayshore Initiative, a landscape approach to restore and protect fish and wildlife habitat, increase volunteer participation in habitat stewardship projects, enhance low-impact outdoor recreation and ecotourism opportunities, and promote associated environmentally compatible economic development. For more information, click Delaware Bayshore.

Directions to the Blackbird Creek Reserve:

From the NORTH:  Take Rt. 1 S to Exit 136 toward Odessa (Rt. 299). From Rt. 299, turn right onto Rt. 13 S in Odessa. Turn left onto Blackbird Landing Rd. Continue to the Reserve on the left.

From the SOUTH: Take Route 13 N to Blackbird Landing Rd. Turn right onto Blackbird Landing Rd.  The Reserve is located on the left.