See Hummingbirds Up Close - One Day Only!
Take flight with the Ijams Hummingbird Festival: A Celebration of Wings presented by Wild Birds Unlimited Knoxville on Saturday, Aug. 15, from 7 am-1 pm! Each year, this festival brings bird lovers, families, and nature enthusiasts together for an unforgettable hands-on experience focused on hummingbird conservation and research.
During the festival, guests can join small-group sessions with expert bird banders from East Tennessee Avian Research and Seven Islands State Birding Park as they operate a hummingbird research banding station onsite.
Event photos were captured through the lens of Oak Roots Creative.
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Art and Science Activities for all Ages
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Speakers
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Hands-on Sessions
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Live Animal Encounters
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Guided Nature Walks
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Community Science Opportunities
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Marketplace (50+ Artists, Crafters, Garden Decor, & More!)
What To Expect
Add a Bird Banding Session!
Secure your spot for an exclusive, behind-the-scenes experience with bird researchers.
Bird banding is a technique used to study wild birds by placing a tiny numbered band around a bird’s leg, allowing scientists to track bird migration, behavior, and population change. Throughout the event, the banding station collects non-invasive biological data, attaches numbered bands to aid in future research, and releases birds back into their ecosystem.
Bird banding is offered in 25-minute sessions, with limited group sizes to ensure an intimate experience. This unique opportunity to participate in a hummingbird banding station is one you don’t want to miss!
Call the front desk at 865-577-4717 to verify your membership and receive your exclusive discount code for festival tickets.
Please note: Parking fees are not included in your ticket. Ijams members always park for FREE!
Thank you to our 2026 Sponsors
Location
The Ijams Hummingbird Festival is held at the Ijams Homesite (2935 Island Home Ave Knoxville, TN 37920).
Arrival Tips
Hummingbirds—like most birds—are active during the early morning, so sign up for one of the earliest sessions for your best chance to see a ruby-throated hummingbird!
Parking
Parking is available in multiple lots at Ijams. Visitors may park at the Ijams Visitor Center, Visitor Center overflow lot, and Mead’s Quarry. Visitors parking at Mead’s Quarry may walk up Will Skelton Greenway (0.25 miles)
Weather
The Ijams Hummingbird Festival is a rain-or-shine event!
New in 2026...
Ijams Nature Center is proud to partner with Knoxville-based artist Lauren Strohacker for a two-night twilight art installation designed to conjure an otherworldly encounter with the hummingbirds of Southern Appalachia.
Projected larger than life, these charismatic subjects will be suspended in looping, slow-motion animated sequences capturing intimate states: frantic flight, feeding, rest, and the eerie stillness of torpor (their deep nocturnal hibernation).
Eight hummingbird projections will transform portions of the Serendipity and Discovery Trails at the Ijams Homesite into an immersive gathering space.
Members save 10%! Call the front desk at 865-577-4717 to verify your membership and receive your exclusive discount code for festival tickets.
Please note: Parking fees are not included in your ticket. Ijams members always park for FREE!
Location
Communion: A Projected Hummingbird Experience is held at the Ijams Homesite (2935 Island Home Ave Knoxville, TN 37920).
Exhibit Duration
This exhibit is available for two nights only on Thursday, August 13 and Friday, August 14!
Guests enter the exhibit with timed entry tickets between 8:00-10:00PM.
Expected visit: Plan to spend ~45 minutes - 1 hour walking the trails.
Parking
Parking is available in multiple lots at Ijams. Visitors may park in lots at the Ijams Visitor Center and along the Will Skelton Greenway.
Accessibility
This venue is not fully ADA accessible. Some sections of the trail have a packed gravel surface, while other areas feature natural terrain with tree roots and rocks, which may present challenges for individuals using mobility devices. Visitors are encouraged to assess their accessibility needs before visiting.