Great Falls Park & Recreation Department is preparing for the annual release of ducks, swans, and geese from the “Honker Hilton” at Gibson Park on Friday, April 18, 2025.
Each year in October, city workers put on their waders and pick up rakes to walk around in the pond, nudging the flightless birds toward a pen. They are then driven a few hundred yards north to what is known as "Honker Hilton."
Through the colder months, the birds are kept inside for their own safety as many have clipped wings.
Park & Recreation staff care for the birds throughout the winter. The birds also have an indoor pond inside their winter residence.
Then each spring, the birds take a short ride in a trailer from their cozy winter abode on the north side of park ("Honker Hilton") over to the pond and released.
The annual event is enjoyed by many people, particularly young children.
It is scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m., and is free and open to all.
Video from 2024:
