Celebrate a holiday on Hawk Mt.

Skip Black Friday mall madness and celebrate Holiday on the Mountain instead, the annual Hawk Mountain open house held Friday, Nov. 27 from 10 am to 4 pm. This day-long event is designed to get families into the holiday spirit as well as outside, and will feature complimentary hot cider, hand-crafted ornaments by Mountain Volunteers, an art exhibit by wildlife artist David Hughes, free trail admission for children 12 and under, nature-themed activities, and live raptors seen up close.

Programs will begin with a very special live Bald Eagle program held in the Outdoor Amphitheater at 10 am. This non-releasable raptor program will be held outdoors only, rain or shine.

Activities will continue indoors at 11 am with children's Critter Craft Ornaments, and a noontime reading of the new picture book Chippy Chipmunk by local author and photographer Kathy Miller.

The afternoon will begin with a 1 pm live owl program followed by a slideshow of pictures presented by Hawk Mountain coffee table book author Jim Wright. Guests are invited to take part in the highly popular Make and Take a Natural Arrangement at 2 pm, and the day will end with the annual Mountain Raffle Drawing at 3 pm.

Both authors will be on hand throughout the day to autograph purchased books and many items will be discounted in the Mountain Bookstore.

Hawk Mountain is located just 2 mi N of I-78/ Cabela's intersection, and is known world-wide as the first refuge for birds of prey. Its 2,600 acres is open to the public by membership or modest fee for wildlife watching, hiking, enjoying scenic overlooks, or watching the annual raptor migration.

For information, visit www.hawkmountain.org or call (610) 756-6961.