Pigeon Fest Recap: NYC’s First-Ever Pigeon Festival on the High Line 🕊️

On June 14, 2025, New York City hosted its inaugural Pigeon Fest along the iconic High Line—an event that celebrated the city’s most overlooked inhabitants: pigeons.

Inspired by Dinosaur, the colossal pigeon sculpture standing tall above 30th Street, this festival combined art, ecology, and whimsical fun in a day-long homage to urban wildlife.

🕊️ Why I Decided to Attend NYC’s First Pigeon Festival

Over the years, I’ve befriended pigeons all around the world and shared their stories right here on The Rocky Safari.

In fact, many of my readers discover this blog through posts about bonding with wild birds.

I’ve even had the unique honor of being featured on ExploringAnimals.com in recognition of my unusual friendships with pigeons! 😂🩶

Whether it’s:

• ☮️ My peaceful pigeon friends in Croatia
• 🐦 The massive flock I traveled 13 hours to visit in Bosnia
• 🇪🇸 The birds who followed me around in Spain
• 🇺🇸 Or my feathery NYC friends right here in the U.S.

…these birds have all been part of my global story.

So When I Heard About NYC’s First Pigeon Fest…

…I was beyond excited. I snagged a free ticket the moment they launched, which turned out to be a smart move—because the free event quickly sold out.

In a place like New York City, where pigeons are practically as common as people, I had a feeling this festival would be a hit.

Even if it sounds niche on the surface, pigeon love runs deeper than most realize.

“That’s So New York It’s Ridiculous—And I’m Obsessed.”

Held on June 14, 2025, along the High Line’s 30th Street Spur, Pigeon Fest was a free, one-day celebration of the city’s most misunderstood birds.

It was so heartwarming to see so many people flocking to the High Line for the event. I got there just in time because soon after I entered, High Line staff began refusing entry to ticket holders because the High Line was at capacity!

Without a ticket, entering was not possible.

Pigeon Fest’s timing was no accident—one day after National Pigeon Appreciation Day. The entire festival was designed around a jaw-dropping new piece of public art: Iván Argote’s 16-foot aluminum pigeon sculpture, “Dinosaur”, which has stood watch over 10th Avenue since October 2024 and will remain on view until spring 2026.

This towering monument flips the narrative on its head—literally elevating a bird often dismissed as a “pest” into a proud, gleaming icon of resilience.

🎉 What Went Down at Pigeon Fest

Despite a few passing showers and a chilly breeze, thousands flocked to celebrate the humble pigeon.

Here’s what made the event so special:

Absolutely Everything was Pigeonified™ 😉

Pigeon Fest Activity List

• 🎨 Carnival-Style Games & Art Workshops
  From Pin the Tail on the Pigeon to ring toss on wings, there were fun, hands-on pigeon-themed activities for all ages.

• 🕊️ Puppet Show by Mother Pigeon
  The beloved NYC street artist brought her whimsical pigeon puppets to life with cooing songs and heartfelt storytelling. The event had so many adorable details. Another booth even had a pigeon piñata!

• 💃 Midday Zumba & Live Music
  Yes—Zumba. Right next to the sculpture. Followed by a curated concert by The Birdsong Project, blending music and conservation.
• 🎭 The Pigeon Impersonation Pageant
  Seven contestants strutted, flapped, and cooed their way across the stage. British artist Miriam Abrahams took the “Top Pigeon of NYC” title with a papier-mâché creation she spent 70 hours preparing. There was even a performing AcroYoga duo called “Peck and Wreck”! The pigeon pageant was hilarious and by far my favorite part!

• 🌍 Discovery Fair & Speaker Panels
  Experts like Christian Cooper (of Black Birders Week), Qiana Mickie, and Ethan Dropkin shared how we can design cities that are friendlier to birds and people alike. More than a dozen conservation orgs participated.

• 🎤 Artist Talk with Iván Argote & Curator Cecilia Alemani
  They spoke about “Dinosaur” and how public art can challenge perceptions and inspire empathy—even for pigeons.

My Livestreamed Interview

Towards the end of the event, I got interviewed on a livestream which was pretty awesome. I got to mention things about my love for pigeons and the chat took a particular interest in my business, Mindset for Success, encouraging me to speak at more events in New York City! 😃

💡 Why This Festival Mattered

1. Reframing the Narrative

Pigeons are often seen as dirty or invasive, but I see them as survivors. These are birds that have adapted to concrete jungles, raised families in scaffolding, and coexisted alongside us in ways we rarely stop to appreciate. The “Dinosaur” sculpture—and the entire festival—reclaims their story.

2. Finding Connection in a Crowd

Many bird lovers are introverts by nature. I think this particular event drew in a lot of introverts, who by definition, typically hate crowded events. Oddly enough, everyone was totally vibing and in great spirits. I felt totally in my element. Surrounded by fellow bird lovers, artists, and conservationists, I was reminded of how community can form around the most unexpected things—even a shared love of pigeons.

3. Where Art Meets Ecology

Pigeon Fest was playful and educational in equal parts. It showed that conservation isn’t always about lectures or laws—it can be fun, weird, creative, and deeply moving.

🧳 My Takeaways from Pigeon Fest

• Seeing Miriam Abrahams holding her papier-mâché pigeon felt like meeting pigeon royalty. Her dedication reminded me how powerful and personal bird-love can be.

• Seeing “pigeon parents” stroll through the Spur with their pet pigeons was surreal and heartwarming. It reminded me of bonding with flocks abroad, where people treat pigeons with genuine affection and respect.

• The Merch! Quite literally, I am taking away merch because I wanted to support the cause and have small tokens to remember the event by.

…and these people’s hats!? How much better can it get?

• The vibe! Warm, caring, supportive, and absolutely hysterical. There was so much happening all at once that it created this awesome, chaotic energy where everyone was just having fun and vibing together in the most chill way possible.

🕊️ Hope for the Future

If it were up to me, Pigeon Fest would become an annual tradition. The High Line has already hinted at more bird-centered programming, and I’m hopeful this was just the beginning.

Pigeon Fest didn’t just honor these often-overlooked birds—it celebrated curiosity, creativity, and coexistence in a city that often moves too fast to notice what’s underfoot… or overhead.

High Line, thank you for hosting this event!

This post is dedicated to Belle, my beloved pigeon friend from Croatia.