Winter’s most majestic visitors deserve a celebration! Head to Alton on Saturday, Jan. 9, 2027, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. as the Eagle Ice Festival returns for its 18th year, bringing live eagle encounters, sparkling ice carvings and family fun to Lincoln-Douglas Square and beyond.

Where the Mississippi, Illinois and Missouri rivers meet, bald eagles turn winter into something extraordinary. Celebrate their seasonal return to southwest Illinois with up-close wildlife experiences, live music and plenty of reasons to explore.

Start your adventure at Lincoln-Douglas Square:

• 10 a.m.–2 p.m.: Live Eagle Meet & Greet
• 10 a.m.–4 p.m.: Face painting
• 10 a.m.–4 p.m.: Live music by Mike Mattingly
• Beginning at 10 a.m.: Live ice carving
• 10:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m.: Balloon artist

Warm up with something delicious:

• Heaterz
• Pig on a Wing
• Idle Roasting, serving coffee and hot chocolate

Then, keep your eagle adventure soaring! More wildlife encounters, winter discoveries and local finds await at these nearby stops.

Audubon Center at Riverlands

Get a closer look at the birds that make this season so special.

• Eagle Meet & Greet sessions — $10 per person; tickets required
• Guided bird hikes — donations accepted
• S’mores — donations accepted
• Vendor market

Ice Jam at the Dam at Melvin Price Locks and Dam and the National Great Rivers Museum

• Follow your curiosity along the Mississippi with hands-on activities and river discoveries.
• Tours of the locks and dam every 30 minutes from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Eagle craft in the museum
• Live music
• Vendors
• Eagle movie in the theater
• Educational touch-table featuring bird-related displays

Old Bakery Beer Company

Browse the Eagle Fest Market from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., then raise a glass to eagle season with a new seasonal beer and shop eagle merchandise.

Bundle up, bring your favorite people and make a day of winter wonder where the rivers meet!