Visiting Dun Roving Farm’s Suri Alpacas is one of the many exciting activities at the Audubon Center and Sanctuary’s Snowflake Festival on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012. (Photo by Jeff Tome)

JAMESTOWN, NY – “With Saturday’s Snowflake Festival almost here, we’re ready with great fun for all, no matter what the weather!”

That’s how the Audubon Center and Sanctuary’s Special Events Coordinator Lynn Crossfield described plans for their annual event, this Saturday, February 4, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

With something for all ages and most activities on-going throughout the day, those with specific times include:

• 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.: Face Painting with Katie Miktuk
• 11:00 a.m.: Naturalist Walk with Audubon Senior Naturalist Jeff Tome
• 11:30 a.m.: Birds of Prey (hawks and owls) presentation by Paul Fehringer, wildlife rehabilitator and founder of Wild Spirit Education
• Noon - 4:00 p.m.: Horse Drawn Sleigh Rides
• 12:00, 1:00, 2:00, 3:00 and 4:00 p.m.: Kicksled Demonstrations outdoors by Tails of the Tundra Siberian Husky Rescue
• 1:00 p.m.: Owl Ecology presentation by Paul Fehringer
• 2:00 p.m.: Naturalist Walk with Audubon Program Director Jennifer Schlick
• 2:30 p.m.: Surprise Program

Additional outside activities are cross country skiing on more than five miles of trails, snowshoe demonstrations by Evergreen Outfitters, the Fluvanna Boy Scouts Troop #169’s cooking demonstrations and free food samples, snow sculpture with Jeff Carlstrom, and visiting Liberty, Audubon’s resident non-releasable Bald Eagle.

Indoors will be bluebird house building, children’s crafts, and yarn spinning demonstrations. The Chautauqua County Humane Society will have cats available for adoption, Amtilia Outreach will show rescued reptiles and amphibians, hissing cockroaches and a tarantula, and Audubon will have its own collection of turtles, snakes, fish, and frogs for viewing.

The Jamestown Community College Earth Awareness Club, WNY $mart Energy Communities, Southern Tier Astronomical Recreation Society (STARS), Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy, Jamestown Audubon Society Photography Club. and both the Warren County and Chautauqua County Master Gardeners will all have displays and exhibits.

Visitors can browse and shop Dun Roving Farm & Alpaca Store, Williamsville’s Teddy Heads, BeautiControl with 50% discounted skin care products, Braymiller Builders, Invisible Fence Brand of Erie, and Audubon’s own Nature Store.

Door prizes, a raffle and a Chinese auction will add to the fun.

Grilled Kielbasa and hot dogs, meat lovers and vegetarian chili, fudge brownies and other baked goods, hot chocolate, fresh fruit, kettle corn, cotton candy, apple chips and more will be among the tasty treats available.

Admission to the Snowflake Festival is only $5; children under 12 are free. Sleigh rides are $5 for ages 13 and over and $2 for 5-12 year olds; $5 covers materials for building a bluebird house. Proceeds support Audubon’s environmental education programs. A reminder: there is no ATM on the Audubon property.

Festival sponsors include United Refining Company, WNY Energy $mart Communities, Herbs R-4-U, Carroll Rod & Gun Club, Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy, Gary’s Carstar, Lena’s Pizza, Randy Ordines, James M. Smith-CLU, Dun Roving Farm and Alpaca Store, Franklin’s Honey & Apples, Phil-N-Cindy’s, and Teddy Heads.

The Audubon Center and Sanctuary is at 1600 Riverside Road, off Route 62 between Jamestown and Warren. Winter hours are 10:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Mondays and Saturdays, and 1:00 - 4:30 p.m. Sundays. The trails and Bald Eagle viewing are open dawn to dusk daily.

For more information, call (716) 569-2345 or visit jamestownaudubon.org.