Pickin’ on the Pigeon Family Music Festival

            First, I get this hilarious mental image of the “Pigeon Family” (perhaps the opening act for the Partridge Family) sat down in steel chairs on a stage and just pummeled with insults and rotten eggs from a rabid crowd while polka music plays in the background. (Everything is just funnier with polka music playing in the background, or that theme from the Benny Hill Show.) Another, even funnier,  image I get is of a family of festival goers eating cotton candy and caramel apples taking turns poking a ridiculous-looking dude in a pigeon suit with cattle prods while, again – a polka band plays in the background. Oh, wait, that was the dream I had last night.

            What was I talking about? Oh, yeah, the Pickin’ on the Pigeon Family Music Festival. (Man, I’m gonna get fired.)

The Pickin’ on the Pigeon Family Music Festival is a festival that takes place in Garvin ParkPigeon Creek, a tributary to the Ohio, which winds through about 41 miles of Evansville’s downtown and empties right smack dab in the middle of the river’s bend. Pigeon Creek empties the rainwater from over 320 square miles of land, 50,000 acres of which is precious urban woodlands, which makes it vital not only for city engineers, but for the wildlife living in and around Evansville. Just north of Bosse Field and features Evansville’s best homegrown musicians (hence the “pickin’” part of the festival name), children’s craft activities, activities that promote conservation and environmental awareness, ice cream, barbecue, and canoe rides in Garvin Park Lake. No, there will be no giant pigeons, rabid pigeons, or six-foot men in pigeon suits at the festival – at least not that I’m aware of. The “Pigeon” part of the name comes from the proximity to Pigeon Creek, a tributary to the Ohio, which winds through about 41 miles of Evansville’s downtown and empties right smack dab in the middle of the river’s bend. Pigeon Creek empties the rainwater from over 320 square miles of land, 50,000 acres of which is precious urban woodlands, which makes it vital not only for city engineers, but for the wildlife living in and around Evansville.

            Conservation and care for the area around Pigeon Creek and the quality of the waters therein is the responsibility of everyone living within its 320-square mile watershed. Raising awareness of the inextricable connection we have to this vital resource and promoting conservation and respect is only part of the reason for the Pickin’ on the Pigeon Family Music Festival – the other part being good ol’ family fun!

            At the time of this writing, planning calls for music provided by a local harpist, a string trio or quartet, and maybe even a drum corps, according to Don Ralph, our contact at Wesselman Woods Nature Preserve. There will also be a show featuring a striking variety of raptors (that’s birds of prey to laymen like me) like hawks, eagles, and owls. Representatives from the Vanderburgh Soil and Water Conservation will be on hand, and the Police and Fire Departments have been invited as well to lend their support and provide additional activities for the youngsters.

            Canoeing on Garvin Lake will be provided by Canoe Evansville, which is a local organization that provides guided canoe tours up and down local waterways like Pigeon Creek. The emphasis of these tours is on points of interest, anecdotal information about Evansville history, and tips on conservation. The Pickin’ on the Pigeon Festival has become part of their regular season, which extends April through November, with trips offered at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday. Anyone interested in taking an informative canoe trip sometime should check them out: www.wesselmannaturesociety.org/canoe

            The festivities at Garvin Park will last from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.; admission is free, but donations are accepted. Bring the whole family and make a day of it. Support Wesselman Woods Nature Preserve in their efforts toward ecological conservation and have a good time doin’ it!

Additional information can be found at www.wesselmannaturesociety.org or by calling 479-0771.