Bird & Nature Festival 2026 — Free family event

Madison Parks will host the Bird & Nature Festival on Sunday, April 26, with free admission at Warner Park Community Recreation Center. (cityofmadison.com) The event runs from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. at 1625 Northport Drive, and the city says most visits take about 30 to 45 minutes. Restrooms and parking are listed as free, and all ages are welcome. (cityofmadison.com) Madison Parks says visitors can see live birds from Open Door Bird Sanctuary, browse nature displays, and join hands-on activities. The city’s Earth Day weekend roundup also lists nature-focused talks and local groups at the festival. (cityofmadison.com 1) (cityofmadison.com 2) The festival is tied to three spring observances at once: Madison Bird City, Arbor Day, and Earth Day. City council district blogs and the parks calendar have promoted it this week as part of a broader run of late-April civic and outdoor events. (cityofmadison.com 1) (cityofmadison.com 2) Madison’s Earth Day weekend schedule puts the festival one day after the city’s Earth Day Challenge, a volunteer cleanup planned for more than 50 parks on Saturday, April 25. The city is using the two events to connect wildlife education with park stewardship in the same weekend. (cityofmadison.com) The main indoor venue is the Warner Park Community Recreation Center, and the city’s weekend notice says activities will also extend outside near the rainbow shelter in Warner Park. That gives the festival both an indoor backup and outdoor space for displays and walks. (cityofmadison.com) (cityofmadison.com) Madison Parks is advertising the afternoon with the line “see, do, explore,” and the event page keeps the pitch simple: drop in anytime between noon and 4 p.m. For families looking for a low-cost weekend stop, the city is framing it as an easy visit rather than a daylong commitment. (cityofmadison.com) (cityofmadison.com)