CLARKSVILLE, Mo. — Clarksville Eagle Days celebrates an iconic American symbol, but it also is a chance for the small town to sparkle.
Amid a malaise of high inflation and dysfunctional government, thrifty opportunities to get away from it all can have an impact.
A community with fewer than 400 residents will see its population expand many times that on Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 28 and 29.
Eagle Days activities take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days in Riverfront Park, the downtown area and The Apple Shed along Highway 79 at the south edge of town. The annual event is sponsored by Raintree Arts Council,
“Eagle Days is a great time of the year to get out when it is cold and warm your spirits by seeing the national bird,” said Linda Blakey, a Raintree board member and community volunteer. “We are fortunate to have such a wonder in our small town.”
“We hope to draw many people who are looking for a fun opportunity to see the eagles in their natural habitat and experience the incredible live eagle shows,” added Raintree President Ashley Branstetter.
The festival is getting an unexpected boost this year, courtesy of a column entitled “Where Eagles Fly” in the January/February edition of Missouri Life magazine.
Author Lorry Myers marvels at seeing the birds in flight along the Mississippi River and during the up-close indoor programs.
“I know it sounds silly, but as I watched that spectacular creature spread his wings and show his might, I felt something change inside me,” she writes. “It was the wind and the wings, the talons and the intent, and in that moment, I fully comprehended why the eagle was chosen to symbolize America. This bald eagle was nothing but powerful, proud and protective, and made me feel that way, too. It was confident and seemed to know his place in the world. I could tell this bird was a force. A fierce lover of freedom.”
Clarksville also boasts additional stops for visitors this year. The Riverside Restaurant opened in December. Cherry’s and the Clarksville Boat Club also offer food. Clarksville Antique Center has customers from around the nation, and several shops offer unique items.
World Bird Sanctuary of St. Louis will present free eagle shows at The Apple Shed at the top of each hour both days. Vendors, artistic works and food will be available, and the Master Naturalist organization will offer children’s activities. The American Legion Riders will have a concession stand. A quilt made by Judy Colbert will be raffled.
Riverfront Park is just south of Lock and Dam 24, which provides eagles with the open water they need to hunt for fish. The Corps of Engineers will have viewing scopes set up for people who do not have binoculars.
“The riverbank is easily accessible,” Blakey said. “People can take pictures from the parking areas, set up scopes and look through binoculars.”
In addition to Raintree, other volunteers who have helped make the event happen are Nathalie Pettus, Middleton and Fern, Todd Hagemeier and Robert Howland.
If all of the other attractions aren’t enough, Myers offers the perfect reason to make the trip.
“Call me sentimental, call me an overzealous patriot, but I am telling you, if you have never seen an eagle fly, you are missing a piece of who you are, and a peace you never knew you needed.”