By JULIE STEIGERWALDThe Soul Sisters Community Fair will address connectivity and empowerment(photo credit: PR)SOUTHBird lovers of all feathers are due to flock to Eilat for the Red Sea resort town’s annual bird festival, taking place this year from March 19 to 26.Hosted by the Israel Ornithological Center, the Eilat Bird Festival is expected to draw hundreds of enthusiasts, from birding professionals of the highest levels to amateur birders, both from Israel and abroad.Taking place for the ninth year, the festival will occur as millions of migrating birds from hundreds of species pass through southern Israel during the peak of spring migration. Activities will include day and night tours throughout Israel’s southern regions – the Arava Desert, the Eilat Mountains, the Negev and the Dead Sea.The weeklong event will be based out of the Isrotel Agamim Hotel.Various participation packages are available for a range of prices and lengths, including three-day pass, six-day pass and a full seven-day pass. Info: eilatbirdsfestival@gmail.com.CENTERHey sister, soul sister: Women’s fair returns to the White City In the name of sisterhood, hundreds of women are expected to make their way to the second annual Soul Sisters Community Fair in Tel Aviv on March 24.
Aimed at addressing empowerment and connectivity, the event at the Abraham Hostel will include an array of interactive talks, workshops and activities to bridge the worlds of women in the country – from Israelis to Anglos, health to hi-tech, and the elderly to the young. The range of topics addressed at the gathering will cover beauty, body image, sexuality, aging, spirituality, career development and more.Participants can explore a range of activities hosted by female-led organizations, communities and businesses. Also included in the day’s festivities will be music, dance, dialogue, collaborative art, a children’s corner and a free raffle. Most speakers will deliver their presentations in English.The fair, held by the women’s communal organization School of Shine, is taking place to mark International Women’s Month.The program is open to the public for an entrance fee of NIS 50.‘Mud Day’ making a splash in Tel AvivIf trudging through kilometers of muddy obstacle courses is your cup of tea, then you’re in luck! For the first time in Israel, the international Mud Day phenomenon of extreme outdoor obstacle courses is set to take place in Tel Aviv’s Yarkon Park on March 24.The multi-course endurance run features military-style obstacles for a challenging yet fun test of endurance and strength for people in all walks of life.For those seeking to get down and dirty, there are several race options: a seven-kilometer course with 11 obstacles, a 13-kilometer course with 22 obstacles and a 500-meter children’s course consisting of five age-appropriate obstacles. The obstacle courses will present various assault-course-based challenges, such as crawling, climbing, swinging and jumping.Participants can take part in the event as part of a group or as individuals. Ticket prices range from NIS 289 to NIS 329 for the full-range course and from NIS 239 to NIS 249 for the half-range course. To register: www.themudday.co.il/en/participate/epreuve-mud-israel.NORTH Haifa partaking in Palestinian music expoHaifa will serve as one of the locations taking part in a first-ofits- kind Palestinian music exhibition traveling throughout cities in Israel and the Palestinian territories April 5 to 7.The ‘Palestine Music Expo’ seeks to spotlight budding local artists along with members of the established international music industry.The concept was spurred by British music executive Martin Goldschmidt, who recruited the backing of several other industry figures to raise awareness of Palestinian music and culture.With events also taking place in Jerusalem and Ramallah, the three-day showcase aims “to show the beauty of our culture and the enormous pool of music talent thriving.”Performing artists in various genres are set to take the stage in Haifa at the city’s Bnai Zion Medical Center. Info: palestinemusicexpo.com/.Enchanted fairy fest in the forest Head to Kibbutz Beit Oren on March 24 for Israel’s first fairythemed festival, which guarantees an enchanting experience for the entire family.Attendees are encouraged to come dressed as their favorite mythological being for the ‘Believe Fairy Festival,’ taking place in the forest near Haifa.Activities, music and stalls will be set up at the compound to add to the magical atmosphere of the event, which kicks off at 10 a.m. and ends at 4 p.m.Tickets cost NIS 60 for children and NIS 180 for adults: www.tixwise.co.il/he/believe.