Celebrate Iowa’s natural world at Johnson County Conservation’s third annual Wings & Wild Things Festival, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 4, at F.W. Kent Park, 2048 Hwy 6 NW, Oxford.

The free event highlights the region’s plants, wildlife and outdoor recreation opportunities. Visitors can enjoy hands-on learning activities, guided exploration, animal meet-and-greets, live music from the Burlington Street Bluegrass Band, lawn games and food from local vendors.

Activities will include live raptor and reptile meet-and-greets, plein air painting, guided bird walks, mushroom forays, fishing, a native plant sale, pollinator education, fire-building demonstrations, animal biofacts and bird nest education stations. Visitors can also make milkweed seed balls, try atlatl throwing and learn about animals that lived in Iowa during the late Ice Ages.

Volunteers are needed to help with the festival. Anyone interested in volunteering can contact Michelle Wiegand at [email protected].

The festival is made possible through partnerships with local conservation and community organizations, including Arts Iowa City’s ArtiFactory, EarthMind, Friends of Johnson County Conservation, Iowa City Bird Club, Iowa Prairie Network, Iowa City Parks & Recreation, Iowa Master Naturalists, Johnson County Master Gardeners of Iowa, Milkweed Matters, Prairie States Mushroom Club, Raptology, Troutleaf Native Plants, UI WILD, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Wild Ones and others.

For more information about the Wings & Wild Things Festival, visit https://www.mycountyparks.com/County/Johnson/Park/JOHNSON-COUNTY-EDUCATION-PROGRAMS/Events/29642/Wings-Wild-Things-Festival.