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July 22, 2025
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources will host the 30th annual Saginaw Bay Waterfowl & Outdoor Festival Saturday, Aug. 2, and Sunday, Aug. 3, at Bay City State Park.
With family-focused amenities like food trucks, bounce houses and activities for kids, the festival highlights the Saginaw Bay’s world-class migratory waterfowl destinations, the sport of waterfowl hunting and wetland conservation.
The festival runs 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday. Event admission is free, but a Recreation Passport is required for all vehicles entering the park.
“The Saginaw Bay region is a unique natural area with wetland habitats that attract tens of thousands of migratory birds each year,” DNR field operations manager Nate Levitte said. “This is a great opportunity to experience the arts, skills and traditions of waterfowl hunting. Whether you’re interested in waterfowl hunting, birding, wildlife watching or environmental conservation, the Saginaw Bay Waterfowl & Outdoor Festival is the perfect place to connect with the waterfowl heritage that makes this region special.”
Visitors can experience waterfowl hunting traditions such as dog retriever trials, duck species identification and duck and goose calling competitions — including the Michigan state qualifier for the world championship in Stuttgart, Arkansas.
Kids can build their own wood duck boxes, give duck calling a try and learn about survival and outdoor skills. Families can also enjoy carving and blacksmith demonstrations, all against the backdrop of beautiful Bay City State Park.
The waterfowl and outdoor expo features over 30 vendors, including a variety of conservation groups, waterfowl hunting artisans and outfitters.
The Michigan Duck Stamp Competition judging will take place Saturday, Aug. 2, at noon. Visitors can view all entries in the 2025 Michigan Duck Hunter Association Duck Stamp Contest, which is open to all artists. The Michigan Duck Stamp Program raises money for wetland habitat restoration and habitat acquisition for waterfowl. A portion of every waterfowl stamp and print purchased goes toward Michigan wetland habitat restoration.
“We’re proud to host this celebration of the waterfowl, wetlands, and wildlife at Bay City State Park, which is home to one of the largest remaining freshwater, coastal wetlands on the Great Lakes, the Tobico Marsh,” park interpreter Jonathan Massung said. “Every year, we welcome a huge variety of migratory waterfowl and other birds to the 2,000 acres of wetland woods, wet meadows, cattail marshlands and oak savannah prairies here on the Saginaw Bay. It’s an amazing place to visit and discover what Michigan’s waterfowl heritage is all about.”
New hunters will have an opportunity to complete a hunter education field day during the festival Sunday, Aug. 3, at noon. Preregistration is required. To participate in this field day, hunters must complete an online, interactive or take-home study course in advance, and present their certificate of completion at the field day. Registration is available online. Learn more about obtaining a hunter safety certificate at Michigan.gov/HunterSafety.
The Saginaw Bay region is a vital ecosystem with wetland habitats like the Tobico Marsh at Bay City State Park, and nearby Nayanquing Point and Fish Point. These areas are major stopovers for North America’s waterfowl populations during fall and spring migration.
Through the sale of hunting licenses and excise taxes, Michigan’s waterfowl hunters are major contributors to wetland conservation. In addition to providing habitat for waterfowl, wetlands are natural filtration systems for contaminants that flow into our watersheds from industry, agriculture and transportation. When we take care of wetland habitats, we improve the quality of groundwater and the Great Lakes — providing clean drinking water to millions of people. The Saginaw Bay Waterfowl Festival is a celebration of this important work to protect both waterfowl and the wetlands they call home.
The Saginaw Bay Waterfowl & Outdoor Festival is sponsored by Ducks Unlimited, Frank’s Great Outdoors, Friends of Bay City State Park, GK World Championship Calls, Jay’s Sporting Goods, Michigan Duck Hunters Association, Northwoods Wholesale Outlet, OnX Hunt, SC Johnson and Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort.
The accompanying photo is available below for download. Caption information follows.
