GENERAL QUESTIONS
When is the Festival of Birds?
The Monterey Bay Festival of Birds takes place the second weekend of October every year from Friday to Sunday.
This year it is October 9th, 10th and 11th 2026.
The Monterey Bay Festival of Birds takes place all throughout the Monterey Bay! There are trips and workshops in Santa Cruz, Monterey, Watsonville, Moss Landing, Elkhorn, Felton, Pacific Grove, Salinas, and so much more. You can discover new birding locations, or visit your favorites with a leader who can highlight things you have never seen before. You get to choose your own adventure!
Where is the Festival?
How do I participate?
Registration opens on August 1st and you can visit the ticketing site for tickets! Tickets can be purchased up until the day before the Festival. There are a variety of free events you can sign up for as well.
If you want to be more involved in the Festival, check out how to do so through questions below!
Can I lead a trip for the Festival?
Yes! You can give your time by either leading a field trip/workshop or by volunteering to help with Festival events! Whether you have a specific idea in mind, or are happy filling in where needed, we are so happy to have you. Leaders get a free Festival TShirt and are eligible for a small stipend.
The festival couldn’t happen without so many folks getting involved in making it all happen, and we are so appreciative of each and every one of you giving your time to help others enjoy the amazing birds of the Monterey Bay Area.
How Can I Support?
There are lots of ways to support the Festival of Birds!
TIME: You can give your time by either leading a field trip/workshop or by volunteering to help with Festival events! Check out the “Can I Help” Question for more information.
SPONSOR: Along with the people giving their time and effort, this Festival could not happen without financial support. BSP wants to limit cost as a barrier of participation and still be able to pay the respective costs to make things happen, and so helping support those costs can make a big difference.
There are two kinds of sponsors- $ or in kind
Each year we have a tshirt for the festival with a design from a local artist! You can order these shirts on the ticketing website leading up to the festival, or purchase at the Festival itself. If you purchase on the ticketing website, you can select for shipping to have it sent to you. Otherwise there are pickup options available during the Festival itself at the Night Market and Trivia events.
TShirts?
If you have questions about the festival or need assistance with your registration, please contact us at (831) 204-0026, or email us at info@birdschoolproject.org. If we're unable to answer, leave us a voicemail and a Bird School Project team member will return your call during regular business hours.
If you're experiencing technical issues with your registration and are unable to complete your purchase online, please give us a call we're happy to help you get registered.
Who do I contact if I have issues?
Carpool coordination is mostly on the participants to self organize, but we are strong encouragers of helping each other get to events and cutting down on our emissions! Check out the Carpool Form 2026 to share info and offer or ask for rides, and generally help coordinate with other folks.
Carpooling
TICKETING QUESTIONS
If you need to make changes to your registration, log in to your account using the Log In link at the top right of the registration page. From there, you can update your ticket selections, add available events, or make changes to your personal information, depending on availability. If you need assistance, please contact us and we'll be happy to help.
For step-by-step instructions visit: https://help.ticketspice.com/en/articles/8935174-edit-a-ticket-order
How can I edit my ticket?
Each person attending the festival must have their own registration. Please complete a separate registration for each attendee. This helps make sure that each person completes a waiver for the MBFOB as well.
How do I add a person?
Yes! If you're unable to attend, you can transfer your ticket to another attendee through your TicketSpice account (subject to the festival's transfer deadline). Log in to your account, select your order, and follow the prompts to transfer your ticket.
For step-by-step instructions, visit https://help.ticketspice.com/en/articles/8935090-ticket-transfers-between-attendees#h_245a4ec36c
Can I transfer my ticket?
Yes, refunds are available for field trips and workshops if requested at least two weeks before the start of the festival. Refund requests made after this deadline cannot be accommodated. Please note that the General Registration fee is non-refundable, as it helps cover festival administration and registration costs.
Do you give refunds?
There is a $20 non-refundable registration fee when you sign up to get tickets for the Festival. This registration fee helps support festival coordination, volunteer management, insurance, and the many behind-the-scenes costs that make the Monterey Bay Festival of Birds possible.
Registration fee explanation
There is also a Free Ticket option that avoids the registration fee, although does limit your trip options to just the free offerings.