Title Image

Festival Highlights

2025 Waterfowl Festival Call for Artists

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Easton, MDWaterfowl Festival 2025: Call for Artists and Exhibitors

Easton, Maryland – January 21, 2025 – The Waterfowl Festival is excited to announce that applications for artists and exhibitors are now open for the 2025 event, scheduled for November 14-16, 2025.

We invite painters, sculptors, carvers, and photographers specializing in waterfowl, wildlife, landscapes, sporting art, and maritime subjects to apply. All displayed work must be available for sale. New artist applications should include 5 to 10 digital images representative of the artwork intended for exhibition. Artwork for sale must have been created within two years of the festival date. Please ensure high-quality images, as they are crucial for the jurying process.

Important Information 

Image: Art Gallery at Waterfowl Festival/Courtesy Ron Haddaway

###

About the Waterfowl Festival

Since 1971, the Waterfowl Festival has raised nearly six million dollars for conservation and education efforts. Proceeds from the festival support various environmental, art, student scholarships,  and cultural initiatives, ensuring that future generations can understand and enjoy the beauty and diversity of waterfowl and their environments. The festival also plays a vital role in supporting the local community, drawing visitors from around the country and boosting the regional economy.

Waterfowl Festival Appoints New Directors for 2025

 

Waterfowl Festival Inc. Welcome New Board Members

 

Easton, Md. –January 15, 2025  Waterfowl Festival Inc. have recently welcomed new additions to their Boards of Directors in January. Jonathan Rondeau, Kim Newcomb, and Amy Horne have joined the organization this month. 

 

“As we enter into the New Year, we are pleased to have three new board members that have a diverse array of skills and capabilities, each one uniquely important to the continued success of our historic festival, “ remarked Deena Kilmon, Executive Director. “Rondeau and Horne will bring fresh ideas and new energy. Newcomb, a thirty-year chairman and returning board member, will offer a wealth of knowledge and historical perspective.”

 

Jonathon Rondeau is President & CEO of the Arc Central Chesapeake Region. He partners with The Arc’s board of directors to set the strategic vision and direction of The Arc to make a lasting impact on people with intellectual and developmental disabilities across Anne Arundel County and Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Over the last 6 years, Jonathon has championed transformational change and growth by expanding services, increasing The Arc’s regional presence, and developing leadership at every level of the organization. His past roles include President & CEO of Family League of Baltimore; Vice President, Community Services and then Chief Program Officer of Melwood; and Director of Camping & Therapeutic Recreation, Autism Services & Transportation for The League for People with Disabilities. He is a 2013 graduate of Leadership Maryland and Baltimore’s The Leadership 2017 program.

 

Rondeau holds a master’s degree in nonprofit management from Notre Dame of Maryland University and a bachelor’s degree in rehabilitation counseling and disability studies from Springfield College. Jonathon resides in Catonsville with his husband, Matt and their son.

 

A native of Easton, Amy Horne is a life-long participant in the festival, having begun her journey as a youth volunteer or “Ducksitter” while still in high school. Horne currently serves as the Executive Director of the St. Michaels Community Center. Her recent past role as the Executive Director of Casa of Caroline showcased her substantial talent in creating a positive impact in the community, an ability to successfully create multi-dimensional fundraising and awareness campaigns for the organization, and a strong ability to create opportunities for volunteers and community partners to participate in the organization’s work. 

 

Horne holds a Master of Social Work degree from Salisbury University. She has served as the President of Denton Rotary and the Shireton Condominium Association. Past board experience includes the Domestic Violence Center of Greater New Haven and the Friends of Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital. She lives in Easton with her husband Ernie Rowe. 

 

Kim Newcomb returns to the board after a few year’s hiatus. She is a native of Talbot County and has a deep love and appreciation for the waterfowling traditions and Eastern Shore lifestyle. Newcomb brings a wealth of industry experience, having worked for many years at Safariland Hunting Corporation. Currently she is the owner of Terry  k & Associates, a real estate appraisal office. 

 

Since 1996 she has been the Waterfowl Festival Artifacts Chairman, spearheading and designing each year’s educational exhibit which has delighted thousands of visitors over the years. Newcomb and her husband Ronnie were inducted into the Waterfowl Festival Hall of Fame in 2016. Her past experiences also include serving on the board and as the interim Deputy Director of the acclaimed Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art in Salisbury, MD. She has served on  the Dorchester County Historical Society Board of Directors (2012-2016) and the Dorchester County Sanitation Board of Trustees (2014-current), serving as President of the Board from 2015-2020. Kim and Ronnie reside in Church Creek, Maryland. 

 

About Waterfowl Festival Inc.

Waterfowl Festival Inc., a partner of Waterfowl Chesapeake Inc., is dedicated to wildlife conservation, the promotion of wildlife art, and the celebration of life on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. The 54th Festival will be held November 14-16, 2025 in historic Easton, Md. General admission tickets are $25 for all three days and VIP packages are also available. For more information, to volunteer, or donate, email or call 410-822-4567.

 

 

Working Artists Forum

We are excited to have the artists of the Working Artists Forum as part of the 2021 Waterfowl Festival!

Launched in 1979 by a small group of artists, the Working Artists Forum – with over 100 members – is today a thriving arts organization with many vital connections within our arts community. WAF members exhibit widely, win awards, teach classes and workshops, and actively participate in arts events throughout our region. Monthly member meetings promote camaraderie through discussion of upcoming exhibits and a lively demonstration by a well-known guest artist.

Their summer juried exhibit Local Color (presented in partnership with the Avalon Foundation’s Plein Air Easton) attracts hundreds of patrons and enjoys excellent sales. Working Artists Forum also presents numerous group shows throughout the year, both on the Eastern Shore and in venues across Maryland/DC. In an effort to support student artists and their teachers, Working Artists Forum donates monies directly to elementary school art teachers for much needed classroom art supplies. Additionally, WAF helps support the Avalon Foundation’s After-School Art Program. Click here to learn more about WAF.

Find these talented artists at the Chesapeake Marketplace – Easton Middle School Location.

Katie Cassidy
Carol Cowie
Pauline Cox
Fred Craig
Lee D’Zmura
Nancy Lee Davis
Mary Ford
Rhonda Ford
Kathy Ryan Gardiner
Jill Glassman
Shirley Hales
Patti Lucas Hopkins
Betty Huang
Carla Huber
Wendy Johnston
Jane Knighton
Kathy Kopec
Marianne Kost
Patricia Dale Lang
Judie Lizewski
Linda Luke
Mary Ellen Mabe
Carol McClees
Deborah McFarlin
Carol Lynn Meers
Diane DuBois Mullaly
Anne Reder
Katie Rogers
Maggii Sarfaty
Stacey Sass
Scott Sullivan
Nancy R. Thomas
Georgette Towes
Stephen Walker
Barbara Harr Watson
Judith Weaver
Maureen Wheatley
Lori Yates
Barbara Zuehlke

FREE Venue – No ticket required

Location: Easton Middle School, 210 Peachblossom Rd.

Bus Route: Blue

Exhibit Hours:
Friday & Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Sportsman’s Party

Saturday, November 13, 6 p.m. – Easton Elk’s Lodge

Enjoy dinner and drinks at the Easton Elk’s Lodge and celebrate all that is Sporting at the Waterfowl Festival!

· All you can eat- appetizers, chicken and more
· Domestic draft beer included, cash bar for mixed drinks & craft beer
· Lots of raffle prizes from our sporting favorites
· Live Music

$50 per ticket!

Retriever Demonstrations

Visit the Bay Street Ponds throughout the Festival to watch the retrievers put on their best show! They will amaze you with the skill and control in finding and bringing back various items on command.

Note: There is not parking at the Bay Street Ponds. You must walk or take the bus.

Visit this page during the Festival for the demonstration schedule.

Sponsored By:

2021 Artists

Our artists are categorized into four types based on their medium of choice – painters, sculptors, carvers and photographers. They can be found in venues all over the downtown area of Easton and require a Festival ticket to visit. The works that are on display are for sale, and the commissions that are generated in the sale go to support the continuation of the Waterfowl Festival and are its main income generator. The artists are juried for admission by a committee and are re-evaluated every year. Artists from previous years will be contacted with an invitation from the Art Committee and do not need to re-apply. New artists who wish to be juried into the show can apply using the form below.

Apply To Be A New Exhibiting Artist

New Painters, Sculptors, Carvers and Photographers Are Encouraged to Apply in Winter of Each Year for the Show in November. New artist applications must be accompanied by at least five (5), but no more than ten (10) digital images uploaded via our DropBox link:

https://www.dropbox.com/request/c5aJXusfWQy6z6hXUVYQ

Please note that the quality of your images is very important. For example, poorly lighted and focused images and those including picture frames on paintings have a negative effect on the jurying process. Images must be of original works of art (no more than 2 images of any one piece). Be representative in subject matter, size, and price range of the artwork to be exhibited at the Festival.

We encourage all artists to bring items of ALL price ranges to appeal to more buyers. You may send images of work already sold. Use the description field here to submit information about the images that you upload. If accepted and the work brought to the show varies significantly, the Waterfowl Festival reserves the right to exclude it from the show. Once submitted we will redirect you to a payment link for your $50 application fee.

Be aware of the following before you apply:

Once accepted:

  • Painters pay a $125 Registration Fee with the Registration Agreement, and 35% commission on sales of original paintings and framed prints, 50% on sales of unframed prints.
  • Sculptors pay a $125 Registration Fee with the Registration Agreement, and 30% commission on sales.
  • Carvers pay a $250 Registration Fee with the Registration Agreement, and 10% commission on sales.
  • Photographers pay a $300 Registration Fee with the Registration Agreement, and 10% commission on sales.

Call 410-822-4567 or email if you need additional information about the process.

Diving Dogs

The Diving Dogs is always a popular attraction at the Waterfowl Festival and 2021 expects to be a great year for competition! Competition pros can register online (rules below).

There are always slots available for amateurs to try it out with your novice pup! Try-Its are $10 for two try-it tickets.

Competitive splashes are available Fri, Sat. and Sunday where you can watch and cheer on your favorites – Festival ticket is required.

Competition Rules: A NADD This event is being run by a NADD mobile dock. Registration Number is required to enter, purchase here for $35.00. Splashes include up to four minutes on the dock for one optional practice jump and two judged jumps. You must inform the judge prior to your jump if you want it to be considered a “practice jump”.

The jump order is set by a posted running order. Each splash closes 30 minutes prior to start time. Failure to be present at the beginning of the splash can result if the forfeiture of jumping in that splash.

Each distance jumping Splash allows 2 judged jumps, back to back. The longest jump of them will be your Qualifying Score.

You can earn a Diving Dog Title at this event. You must have five Qualifying Scores within a Division. NADD titles are recognized by the AKC and CKC through their recognition programs. View their applications here (AKC) and here (CKC).

Please read the official NADD Rules before you register to compete in the Trial.

 

Sponsored By

 

Volunteering

Becoming a Festival Chair, Volunteer During the Festival or Apply to be a Duck Sitter

Be a Volunteer

The success of the Festival stems from the hard work and hospitality offered by our corps of dedicated volunteers. We invite you to join the team!

Each year we recruit, train and depend upon more than 1,200 volunteers to make the whole event happen. While mostly from Talbot County, some even travel from across the country simply for the fun of volunteering at our annual event. Festival planning and preparations go on year round, so volunteers are always needed for a multitude of tasks. More than 60 volunteer committee chairs invest hours of their time coordinating Festival details and they, in turn, depend on hundreds of others to help get things done. Volunteer opportunities are small to large, easy to extensive – but always much appreciated!

Volunteer Opportunities

Below are the opportunities we could use help with for 2021. Please use the form below to reach out.  Not sure where your best fit is? Call our office at 410.822.4567 or email Leslie Milby at.

BUS GUIDES
DUCKSITTERS (Volunteers 18 and under)
FESTIVAL SHOPPES
GUEST SURVEY HELP (NEW)
OFFICE HELP
SECURITY WATCHMAN
SET UP & BREAK DOWN HELP
TICKET SALES
TIPS TRAINED BARTENDERS & BEER POURERS

Chairman Opportunities for 2021 – Coming Soon!

Calling Contests

 

The Premiere Calling Championships in the World.

Putting the Duck and Goose back into Duck and Goose Calling. 

Competitors are immersed in the language of the incredible waterfowl of the region, competing against each other the for coveted title of World Champion. Callers from all around the world come to Easton once a year to showcase their skills and hope to be immortalized in the history books of Championship Calling. Many of the industry’s leaders in waterfowl calling and hunting have gotten their start on the calling championship stage at the Waterfowl Festival.  The World Championship Goose Calling Championship ®, founded in 1976, is the longest running goose calling championship in the United States. This Championship has single-handily changed the shape and face of the goose calling and waterfowling industry! Prize packages range from $5,000 to $12,000 in cash and prizes thanks to all our Corporate partners.

With audiences of 600+, five championships and incredible prize packages on the line, the stage is always set for an exciting evening. The beauty of Easton’s championships is the level playing ground. Anyone, novice or master, can blow. The World Waterfowl Calling Championships bring in judges from all the flyways, to have representation from across the country.

All the callers on our stage showcase their incredible abilities to operate a duck or goose call. However, our live championships stress that all callers must replicate the sounds of actual ducks and geese. The callers are instructed to not go outside the realm of natural sounds of ducks and geese. By leveling the playing field, any and all callers are urged to participate. This championship is not about who can operate a call the best, but who sounds the best in the field!

Competition Schedule

Friday, November 12- 10 a.m. – Noon – Registration for all Competitors  (at Easton High School Auditorium)

  • 11 a.m.: Judges & Callers Meeting – Senior Division
* A meeting for all the callers and judges to give their input on the contests, scores and how to improve the sport for the following year.
  • 12:30 p.m.: Preliminary Rounds begin (Senior Divisions)
  • 12:30 p.m. World Championship Team Goose Calling Contest
  • 2:00 p.m.   World Championship Team Live Duck Calling Contest
  • 
3:30 p.m.   World Championship Live Goose Calling Contest
  • 5:00 p.m.   World Championship Live Duck Calling Contest
  • 6:30 p.m.   World Championship Goose Calling Contest

Saturday, November 13 – 9-11 a.m.  Registration for Junior competitors (at Easton High School Auditorium)

  • 10:30 a.m.  Judges Meeting – Junior Division
  • 11:00 a.m.   Preliminary Rounds begin (Junior Divisions)
  • 11:00 a.m.   Junior World Championship Live Duck Calling Contest
  • 12:15 p.m.  Junior World Championship Goose Calling Contest
  • 2 p.m.: FINAL ROUNDS (Please note, there is no bus transportation after 5 p.m.)

o World Championship Live Duck Calling Contest – Junior
o   World Championship Goose Calling Contest – Junior
o   World Championship Team Goose Calling Contest
o   World Championship Team Live Duck Calling Contest
o   World Championship Live Goose Calling Contest – Senior Division
o   World Championship Live Duck Calling Contest – Senior Division
o   World Championship Goose Calling Contest – Senior Division

6-10 p.m.  Sportsman’s Dinner & Celebration
Easton Elk’s Lodge. Tickets $50  Buy Tickets

 

LIVE Location: Easton High School
723 Mecklenberg Ave.

Admission: Preliminary Rounds (Fri & Sat) – FREE;

Finals  (Sat. eve) – FREE with Festival admission or $10 per person

Follow the action LIVE on our Facebook Feed!

 

Our master of ceremonies is Chad Belding, the host of “The Fowl Life” and owner of Jargon Duck and Goose Calls. In his 36 years, Belding has worked with the best in the hunting industry. Nevada native Belding got hooked on hunting ducks after pursuing them as a kid with family and friends. He’d ultimately turn that love of waterfowl hunting into his life’s work when he created Banded Nation after college, with help from key partners in the industry.

Today, hunting waterfowl remains at the center of Chad’s world, as the passionate hunter and champion duck caller travels the continent as star of “The Fowl Life” outdoor television show. Hunters from all walks of life appreciate his aggressive hunting style and die-hard dedication. We are very excited to have Chad and “The Fowl Life” team on board!

Sponsorships

No matter the size of your business or organization– there are many ways to get involved in supporting the Waterfowl Festival

The generous contributions of our Corporate Partners are instrumental to the success of each annual Waterfowl Festival. Their sponsorship offsets the costs of conducting the Festival, thus enabling the maximum amount of Festival proceeds to be applied to conservation activities. The Corporate Partner Program offers levels of support at all price levels. In appreciation, the Waterfowl Festival extends recognition, promotional and entertainment benefits which vary depending upon the level of support. Partnering with the Festival is an excellent opportunity for businesses to meet their goals for community involvement by supporting an event that attracts nearly 20,000 attendees from the Mid-Atlantic region and produces an annual economic impact of $3.5 million to the community.*

There are many opportunities that exist for Corporate Partners at the Waterfowl Festival, some of which include:

  • Venue Sponsorships
  • Special Event Sponsorships
  • Title Sponsorships
  • Official Guide Advertising and Sponsorships
  • Calling Contest Sponsorships

Sponsorship levels start at $500!

To join the Corporate Partner program or for more information,  download the Partnership Kit , email

The Economic Impact of the Waterfowl Festival

  • The 6,833 out of town visitors to the 2019 Waterfowl Festival spent nearly $3 million in travel-related goods and services. On average, visitors spent roughly $421 within Talbot County during their trip.
  • 6 out of 10 stayed overnight spending an average of $251 per trip on lodging
  • 55% of overnight visitors stayed in a hotel or motel (over 76% of those stayed in a hotel or motel in Easton)
  • 25% of those who stayed in other towns, stayed within Talbot County
  • Waterfowl Festival-initiated spending generated $787,000 in tax receipts, including $357,000 in federal receipts and another $429,000 in state and local tax receipts
  • In 2019, spending by visitors and event organizers generated a total of nearly $1.6 million in wages for Talbot County employees

*Source: Rockport Analytics Economic Impact Study of 2019 Waterfowl Festival

window.wpbCustomElement = 1;