A first-ever Pigeon fest is taking over the High Line this June! In honor of Iván Argote’s Dinosaur—a 17-foot aluminum pigeon sculpture on the Spur—and National Pigeon Appreciation Day, the High Line will host Pigeon Fest: a free, daylong celebration of pigeons, urban wildlife, and public art.

The festival spans the 30th Street section of the High Line and includes carnival games, family-friendly art workshops, a pigeon dance party, panel talks, and a concert with the Birdsong Project. A Discovery Fair will feature hands-on activities and demos from over a dozen organizations focused on birds, urban ecology, and monuments.

There will even be a Pigeon Impersonation Pageant at 2 PM, where nine contestants will compete for the title of NYC’s Best Pigeon Impersonator in a playful competition hosted by legendary costume designer and NYC icon Machine Dazzle. A panel of experts will judge participants on plumage (costume), strut, and sound. There will even be a special appearance by the sculpture's artist, Iván Argote.

Pigeon Fest aims to bring together artists, scientists, educators, and the public to explore the overlap of art, nature, and city life—the intent of the artwork itself—while reexamining the legacy of a bird once hailed as a war hero and now often overlooked.