Humane Indiana Wildlife Hosts 10th Annual “Festival of Owls” Fundraising Event at Porter County Expo Center

Valparaiso, IN – November 3, 2025 – Humane Indiana Wildlife invites families and owl enthusiasts to experience an unforgettable day at Festival of Owls, a fundraiser supporting Humane Indiana Wildlife’s work to rescue and rehabilitate native wild animals. The event will take place on Saturday, November 15, from 9am – 4pm at the Porter County Expo Center, located at 215 E Division Rd, Valparaiso, IN 46383. Doors will open at 8:15am.

Back for its 10th year, Festival of Owls offers guests up-close opportunities to meet 6 of Indiana’s native owl species, including the Great Horned, Barred, Eastern Screech, Barn, Short-Eared, and Saw-Whet owls. Through educational presentations suitable for people of all ages, adults and children alike will learn all about Indiana’s owls – everything from their habitats and hunting methods, to raising young and differentiating between the calls of different owl species. Additionally, the public debut of two new Humane Indiana ambassadors, a Saw-Whet owl and a Short-Eared owl, is not to be missed!

Featured guest speaker, Paul Bannick, a New York Times bestselling wildlife author and photographer, will be delivering a presentation, featuring photos and videos highlighting his experiences writing his new book, Owl: A Year in the Lives of North American Owls.

“We are excited to welcome Paul Bannick back to Northwest Indiana to share his experiences photographing and writing about the lives of owls,” shares Humane Indiana Wildlife Director, Nicole Harmon. “After seeing Paul speak, I knew he would be an incredible addition to our festival and that his experiences would resonate with owl lovers in our community.”

Paul Bannick’s book will be available for purchase at the event, both before and after the presentation.

Other festival highlights featured at the event are a kids’ area with STEM activities, shopping from local vendors, food trucks, and visits from various other wildlife ambassador animals.

Tickets to the event are $15 for teens and adults ages 13+, $10 for children ages 4 – 12. Guests ages 3 & under are admitted for free.

Tickets can be purchased on-site at the doors or in advance on the event webpage: https://www.humaneindiana.org/events/foo. The webpage also includes information about how to sign up to become a food or product vendor at the event. All proceeds benefit Humane Indiana’s Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center. For more information, visit https://www.humaneindiana.org/events/foo, or keep up with all the latest at Humane Indiana Wildlife by following @humaneindianawildlife on Facebook.

###

The mission of Humane Indiana is protecting pets, preserving wildlife, and supporting a nurturing connection between animals and people. Humane Indiana helps 25,000 injured, orphaned, or homeless animals annually not just shelter and adoption, but also through the low-income veterinary clinic, pet food pantry, homelessness prevention, foster care, and wildlife rehabilitation center. Learn more at www.humaneindiana.org. Follow HI on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook: Shelter, PAWS Resale, Wildlife.