Registration

Welcome to the 2025 Huron Fringe Birding Festival Online Registration

 

27th Huron Fringe Birding Festival

May 23 - 26 and May 29 - June 1, 2025
 

Registration for 2025 events will be active on March 14 at 6am


Online registration is closed during the active Festival dates but open on May 27 & 28 between Festival weekends

During the Festival, IN-PERSON registrations/event changes at the Registration Tent will take priority 

EVENT CHANGES will not be processed after 3pm
Please only advise of event or registration cancellations

 

Earlybird Registration Check-in will be available on-site 
May 22 (3pm -7pm)

 

View printable SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

 IMPORTANT!  Be sure to read the printable (illustrated step by step) REGISTRATION INSTRUCTIONS (available soon) prior to registering


If you are new to the Festival, we suggest that you create your account PRIOR TO March 14 so that you are ready to log in when registration is active.

YOUR ACCOUNT: The first step in registering for the Festival is to create an account. To create an account, enter your email address and create a password, then follow the directions by adding your contact information.  You can then log-in starting March 14 to add attendees to your account and register for events.
Your account profile can be edited at any time; log into your account and click the Edit Account tab at the top of the page.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN THE REGISTRATION PROCESS:

  • Be prepared IN ADVANCE with each attendee's address, email address, phone, cell phone (for use only during the Festival) and emergency contact name/phone.  The emergency contact is someone NOT attending the Festival. 
  • Have your credit card readily available for payment once you are ready to submit for payment.
  • Establish all attendee's desired events as well as second choices.
  • If a first choice is full, consider registering for an alternate event in the same time slot, continue with your event selection and then complete your registration. 
    To add your name to a waiting list, click on the WAITING LIST tab at the top of the registration page.  The wait-listed attendee will be contacted if space becomes available.  Please note: a registration (with or without events) needs to be in place in an account for names to be added to waiting lists.
  • Log into your account and follow the registration instructions to add attendee registrations, select events and submit the registrations for payment to reserve the events.  You may print the schedule of events and the registration instructions (links above) without logging in.
    Please Note: If there will be multiple attendees in one account with different addresses and not all the same events, registration will be more efficient/faster if one person from each household creates their own account and registers their attendees.

Once you have submitted your registration(s) for payment, the account holder will receive a confirmation email showing the events and payment total(s) for all attendees in the account.  
CHANGES CANNOT BE MADE TO SUBMITTED REGISTRATIONS ONLINE.  CONTACT THE REGISTRAR.

A follow-up email with a unique link to our electronic Festival Waiver will be sent to each attendee, based on the information in their registration.  
This waiver is required in advance for registrations submitted prior to the Festival.

Event registrations are not transferrable.


SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:

We offer some mobility limited events.   This 🚗 indicates where vehicle transportation is required.

Every day at the Visitor Centre – Early morning coffee & treats. BBQ lunches daily 11:00 am to 1:00 pm.
NATURE SHOWCASE at the Visitor Centre 
Mix & mingle at The Nest over lunch. Check out the ‘By Donation’ Table.

 Youth (10-21) are welcome on Festival events (ages 10 & 11 accompanied by an adult who is also registered for that event). 
Children under 10 are not allowed on Festival events.

 

  • Participants should arrive at their respective start locations 30 minutes prior to their first event.
    A signed waiver of liability is required for each participant in the Festival.  A waiver for each Youth age 10-17 must be signed by a parent/legal guardian.  This waiver is required in advance for registrations submitted prior to the Festival.
  • All-Day Events:  start and end at the Campers Beach parking lot.  First event participants will receive their Festival name badge from the Event Coordinator. 
  • Half Day Events:  start and end near the Visitor Centre (with some exceptions as noted in Event descriptions). First event participants should obtain their Festival name badge at the Registration Tent located near the Visitor Centre.
  • Event Arrival Time: once you have received your name badge, please arrive 15 minutes before each of your other events to gather with your group, get outing instructions and leave on time. The event coordinator will be convening each group by holding up a card with the event number. They will not wait for late-comers.
  • Event End Times: morning events return to the Visitor Centre by 11:00am; afternoon and all-day events return to their respective parking lots by 4:30pm (3:30pm on 1st Saturday; ⭐events by 3:00pm).
  • Evening Presentations: start at the Visitor Centre promptly at 7:15pm and end by 8:30pm. 
  • Events Meeting Off-Site: the location will be noted in the event title.   
  • Please consider any medical conditions or physical limitations you have when choosing events. Be sure to properly prepare yourself as needed for each event.
  • Festival registration includes Park day use fee for the days of your event(s)

For all Events - BYO water, snacks, food, hat, sunscreen, insect repellant, sturdy footwear. Stay on trails to avoid poison ivy, ticks, and other off-trail hazards, and to protect the ecological integrity of the surrounding environments. 
Pets are not permitted on Events.

For Car-Travel Events: 🚗

  • Carpooling – we encourage carpooling to minimize the size of convoys for safety and environmental reasons. Have your gas tank full, or batteries fully charged, and be ready to roll.
  • Share Expenses – if you carpool, we suggest offering the driver $5 per Half Day Event or $10 per All Day Event, towards driving expenses. It’s appreciated!
  • Walkie-talkies – if you have walkie-talkies, please bring them along. Walkie-talkie communication while on route keeps you aware of stops, directions, and traffic safety. Someone other than the driver must operate the unit; it’s the law. 
  • Be Prepared – beverages, food and anything else you need for the day.

Waiting Lists -  If an event is full, log into your account and click on the WAITING LIST tab at the top of your account registration page to complete a Waiting List request form.  The wait-listed attendee will be contacted if space becomes available.  Limit of 5 waiting list requests please.

Need to cancel during the Festival? -  Notify the Registrar if you are unable to attend any Event(s), so that we can remove your name from the attendee list.  Let us know at the Registration Tent, phone 519-375-1889, or email huronfringebirdfest@gmail.com

Cancellations prior to the Festival - Should you need to cancel your entire registration, the following fees will apply; a refund cheque will be sent after the Festival.

Before May 1: $10 cancellation fee per registration
May 1 - May 15:  50% refund
May 16 - Victoria Day:  25% refund
After Victoria Day: no refund for registrations or events

Soon after registering, all attendees will be sent an email with a link to the electronic Friends of MacGregor Point Park Waiver. Registrants will be able to review the waiver and read the Festival’s "Be Safe" document prior to signing the document.
A signed waiver of liability is required for each participant in the Festival.  

Health and safety protocols will be followed as per guidelines in effect at the time of the Festival.
Our Festival is mask-friendly

View our first edition "Redstart" Friends of MacGregor Point 20th Festival newsletter as well as our second edition "Redstart" Friends of MacGregor Point 25th Festival newsletter.

We follow the OFO Code of Ethics and endorse the OFO Code of Conduct when birding.

For more information on where to stay, where to eat and where to shop in Saugeen Shores (Port Elgin and Southampton), please visit www.visitsaugeenshores.ca.