Join Audubon’s Rowe Sanctuary and Kearney Parks and Rec for Kearney’s first Fall Nature Festival!

Dress up in your favorite costume and explore the booths, games, and activities for both children and adults. There will be fall crafts, wreath making workshops, an animal ambassador program with live raptors, a spooky science experiment, a candle-lit hike, a demonstration on landscaping with fall-blooming plants, face painting, owl pellet dissection, and a glow-in-the-dark scavenger hunt to learn about wildlife of the night.

This event is FREE and open to the public. A $5 donation is suggested per family. Some events will have a separate suggested donation. Food trucks will be parked at the event as well. Public bathrooms will be available for use. Please leave pets at home.

Stop in for the fun activities and stay for an evening of family fun!

Ongoing Activities

Fall Craft and Wreath Making: Learn how to make a fall wreath and other crafts with prairie plants! Materials will be provided. This activity is free, but $3 donations are appreciated to support the cost of wreath supplies.  

Owl Pellet Dissection: Dissect owl pellets and reconstruct the skeletons of animals inside to discover what the owls have been eating. Hooo is up for the challenge? 

Owl Crafts: We have crafty fun for “owl” ages!  

Fall Photo Booth:Take fall family photos at our photo booth with a variety of our fun fall props! 

Face Painting Booth:Choose a fall or wildlife design for our amazing artists to paint! Snazaroo face paints are gentle and kid-safe. 

Festival Bingo: Pick up an event map with a bingo card on the back from the info booth. Check off bingo squares as you visit each activity, and bring your bingo card back to the information booth to be entered into a drawing for one of our amazing door prizes from local businesses! 

Hot Chocolate Bar: Choose from a variety of toppings to craft your own sweet treat! A $1 donation is suggested. 

Nature Activity Booths: Several nature organizations will have activity booths focused on Nebraska critters!  

Candlelit Hike:Wander through the east gardens after dusk for a candlelit hike. 

Scheduled Activities - Various times

Live Animal Program with Deb Miller: 5:00-6:00pm 

Free, Yanney Park Pavilion at the Gardens- outside under south awning, Registration not required 

Please join us as Deb Miller, Edgerton Explorit Center and Fontenelle Forest Educator and Raptor Conservation Alliance volunteer, provides an educational experience for the whole family with live birds of prey. 

Fall Gardening Workshop: 4:00-5:00pm 

Free, Registration required

This 1 hour workshop will demonstrate how to garden with native perennials to bring texture, color, and architectural statements to your home landscape to create a stunning garden space that supports wildlife. First, a Nebraska wildlife habitat expert will discuss the benefits of native plants for wildlife, and methods for attracting a variety of birds to your home landscape. Then, a Kearney Parks and Rec horticulturalist will provide a tour of Yanney Parks native garden beds and showcase the plants you can use in home gardens. Goodie bags with helpful resources and guides and swag will be provided to workshop attendees! 

Click here to register and secure your spot!

Glow-in-the-Dark Scavenger Hunt: 7:30-8:30pm 

Free, Registration not required 

Wander through the west gardens just after dusk to search for signs of animal activity, and follow glow-in-the-dark clues to the final destination, the wise owl’s nest. Stop at the table by the scavenger hunt sign just before 7:30 for more information on how to complete the scavenger hunt.