It’s back.

The annual East Carolina Wildlife Arts Festival and N.C. Decoy Carving Championships open to the public today.

Some nonpublic events such as a reception for festival sponsors and the unveiling of the winning artwork for the 2013 North Carolina Waterfowl Conservation stamp were conducted Friday evening. The public parts of the 18^th-annual festival kick off at 9 a.m. today. The festival concludes Sunday afternoon.

The festival and carving championships are organized by the East Carolina Wildfowl Guild. A one-day admission ticket is $10, with a three-day admission ticket costing $15.
The main changes to this year’s festival are that the carving championships return to the Peterson Building next to the Washington Civic Center, where most of the exhibitors will be housed, said Mike Hicks, show chairman this year. Children’s activities and programs will be centered at the North Carolina Estuarium, he said. Also, there will be no food concessions at festival sites. Instead, Hicks said, festival-goers and exhibitors will be directed to area restaurants to satisfy their food needs.

Returning to the festival are the DockDogs competitions.

The Washington DockDogs competitions come in four categories — leaping for distance, vertical jumps, speed (timed) retrievals and Iron Dog (a sort of triathlon involving Big Air Wave, Extreme Vertical and Speed Retrieve categories).
The dog that jumps the farthest, leaps the highest or retrieves the fastest in a specific division wins that division.

Some of the best decoy carvers in the world are in Washington this weekend.
The carving championships return to the Peterson Building after being conducted at the Red Men’s Lodge for several years. The championships also include International Wildfowl Carvers Association competitions.
There are 13 divisions in the carving competitions. IWCA sponsors six of them, with the East Carolina Wildfowl Guild sponsoring six. One competition is sponsored by both groups. The East Carolina Wildfowl Guild organizes the festival.
Some divisions have subdivisions such as open, intermediate and novice. Prizes range from a $1,000 purchase award (the winning entry is bought by the guild) to $25.

 

Saturday, February 9 – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. — Free Shuttles Provided

Main Festival Venue — Washington Civic Center, 110 N. Gladden St.

Diverse groups of exhibitors offering hand crafted items.

Carving Competition Venue — Peterson Building, 310 W. Main St.
10 a.m. Carving competition judging begins
10 a.m. Decorative life size

11 a.m. Charles Moore

11:30 a.m. Decorative miniatures

11:30 a.m. Shorebirds

Noon Decorative heads

1 p.m. River pairs (waterfront)

1 p.m. Decorative floating

2:30 p.m. Pamlico gunning

DockDogs Venue – Kugler Field, corner of Hudnell and Third streets.

8 a.m. – Onsite registration/practice

9 a.m. – Big Air Wave Competition #5

10:30 a.m. – Big Air Wave Competition #6
Noon – Big Air Wave Competition #7
2 p.m. – Big Air Wave Competition #8

4:30 p.m. – Extreme Vertical Competition

Children Activities Venue — NC Estuarium, 223 E. Water St.

Children’s painting workshops: 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., and 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Call 252-948-0000 to register.

The Estuarium will be open to children and youth free of charge, adults at half price of $2 each.

Other special activities are planned for children throughout the day.

Sunday — 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. — Free Shuttles Provided

Main Festival Venue — Washington Civic Center, 110 N. Gladden St.

Diverse group of exhibitors offering hand crafted items.

DockDogs Venue — Kugler Field, corner of Hudnell and Third streets.

Onsite registration/practice – 8 a.m.

9 a.m. Speed Retrieve Competition
10 a.m. Big Air Wave Competition #9
12:30 p.m. Big Air Wave Competition #10
3 p.m. Speed Retrieve Finals
3:30 p.m. Big. Air Finals (Amateur, Semi-Pro, Pro)

Carving Competition Venue — Peterson Building, 310 W. Main St.

11 a.m. Judging for N.C. Decoy Carving Championship Division
11:30 a.m. Judging for the Contemporary Antique Division
Noon. Judging for Tri-County Canvas Gunning Decoy Division
1:30 p.m. Judging for the O’Neal’s Drug Store Carolina Gunning Decoy Division
2:30 p.m. Judging for T.R.A.D.E. Carving Division
3:30 p.m. Carving Competition Awards Ceremony