Once a year the Urban Park Rangers put New York’s aerial predators on an open field and let you stand close enough to count feathers. It is called Raptor Fest, and this year it is in southeast Queens.
- When — Sunday, September 20, 2026, 12:00 to 3:00 p.m.
- Where — Baisley Pond Park, Queens. Enter at Foch Boulevard and 155th Street; the event runs on the open field along Foch between 155th and 157th.
- Cost — Free. No ticket, no lottery, no advance registration.
- What you’ll see — Eagles, falcons, hawks, and owls, live and up close, plus flight demonstrations and education/activity stations around the field.
- Who brings the birds — Masters of the Skies Falconry, and Wildlife in Need of Rescue and Rehabilitation, the rehab outfit that handles non-releasable raptors.
- Contact — NYC Parks Urban Park Rangers, (212) 360-2774.
It is a family-friendly event by design, which mostly means the demonstrations are paced for short attention spans: birds flying, handlers talking, stations to walk between. Three hours is the full window, and there is nothing to sign up for, so the only real planning is getting there.
Two things worth knowing. The event is on grass in full sun, so bring water and a hat. And Baisley Pond Park is a genuinely good birding site in its own right — a 30-acre pond ringed with willow and oak that pulls in migrants — so if you are already out there with binoculars, the walk around the water is the obvious second stop.