Best of the Nest:

Birdhouse Competition & Display

Join Peddler’s Village, AIA Bucks County and the Honey Hollow Nature Center in a competition celebrating nature, habitats, feathered friends, and human creativity.

The Best of the Nest: Birdhouse Competition & Display invites members of the public to create unique birdhouses that could win cash prizes. In addition, participants will have their craftsmanship on display to thousands of Peddler’s Village visitors—who will be voting on their favorites! The birdhouse entries will be on display throughout the Village from April 20 through May 25, 2026.

Call for Entries

People of all ages and abilities are encouraged to take part, and entries from those in the design/build industry are particularly welcome! The deadline for entries is April 8, 2026. Free to enter. Contest details are below.

New to birdhouse-making?
On March 28, 1:00 p.m., join AIA Bucks County and the Honey Hollow Nature Center for a free presentation, “Birds and Boxes,” where you can learn about bird habitats and behaviors and basic birdhouse design principles such as form and function to help you creation of you own special home for birds! Click here for details and to RSVP.

You can find tips and tricks on Nestwatch.org!

The Competition

Categories and Prizes

A traditional birdhouse design based on familiar, classic forms, often resembling human houses or standard birdhouse depictions. Your entry must be well-crafted, durable for outdoor display, and suitable for the needs and habits of birds.
PRIZES: 1st: $300 | 2nd: $200 | 3rd: $150 | (2) Honorable Mentions: $50

An imaginative, unexpected birdhouse with a playful twist, made to surprise, delight, and dazzle the human eye. Use bold colors, quirky themes, and clever concepts inspired by film, literature, and fairytales to create a one-of-a-kind design. Entries should be wildly creative yet functional for birds, with an entry hole and an interior nesting space.
PRIZES: 1st: $300 | 2nd: $200 | 3rd: $150 | (2) Honorable Mentions: $50

Celebrate America’s 250th anniversary with a birdhouse inspired by the people, places, and symbols that shaped the United States. Designs may reflect iconic American landmarks, historic architecture, or patriotic imagery, from the colonial-era beginnings to the modern-day. Entries must be fully functional for birds, including an entry hole and interior space for a bird to nest.
PRIZES: 1st: $300 | 2nd: $200 | 3rd: $150 | (2) Honorable Mentions: $50

This category is for our 11-and-under guests. Have fun and be creative! Make a birdhouse that any bird would be happy to call home!

Entries must be solely constructed by the individual(s) entering the competition. Kids Only competitors may be supervised, for safety precautions, by a parent, guardian, or classroom teacher.

GIGGLEBERRY FAIR PRIZES:
1st : $75 | 2nd: $50 | 3rd: $25
Honorable Mention (2): $15 game card for arcade

Entry Forms

There is no fee to enter. The deadline for completed entry forms is April 8, 2026. A single entry may not be entered in more than one category.

Entry Drop Off

Completed entries must be dropped off on Saturday, April 12 between 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. at Street Road Green.

Entry Display

Entries will be displayed outdoors at Peddler’s Village from April 20 – May 25, 2026. Peddler’s Village reserves the right to remove any entry which begins to look in disrepair.

Voting

Guests are invited to vote for their favorite entries through the Peddler’s Village Mobile App (Apple | Google Play) until May 10.
The winners will be announced online by May 12.
Ribbons will be placed on winning entries. Prizes will be available for pick up at the Visitor & Event Center on Tuesday, May 26, between 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Winners

Ribbons will be placed on winning entries. The winners will be posted on the Peddler’s Village website. The winners list will not be available by phone. Prizes will be available for pick up on Tuesday, May 26, 2026.

Grand Prize Winner: The winner will be announced on June 1 and will win a $300 gift card for use at any Peddler’s Village-owned restaurant.

Entry Pick Up

All entries not donated to the auction to benefit either the AIA Bucks County’s George J. Donovan Memorial Scholarship Bucks County or the Honey Hollow Nature Center must be picked up on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, between 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Any entries not picked up by this time will become the property of Peddler’s Village.

Entry Specifics

  • All birdhouse entries must be constructed using durable, weather-resistant materials capable of withstanding outdoor conditions. Participants are encouraged to use waterproof glue, nails, screws, and other sturdy construction methods to ensure the birdhouses remain intact despite exposure to the elements.
  • Mounting Options:
    • Option 1: Hung from above using an eye hook. Make sure it is in the center of your birdhouse to distribute and balance the weight properly. After drop off, your bird house will be hung by its eye hook from a shepherd hook and pole.
    • Option 2: Mounted on a sturdy display board (½” or ¾” plywood recommended) using foundation anchors. The display board should be an integral part of the design and be size-appropriate for the birdhouse. After drop off, your birdhouse will be attached to a support pole.
  • All entries must be under 12 pounds in weight and must be portable.
  • Size limitations: All entries must fit into an area no bigger than 20” x 20” x 20.” Minimum size for all entries is 4” x 4” x 4.”
  • All entries must have an entry hole and an interior space for a bird to nest.
  • To protect birds and avert potential disruption when the display is completed, all entries should include a mesh piece that can be placed over the hole(s) so that birds will not inhabit the house during the temporary display.
  • Please securely attach a 3” x 5” index card on the bottom of your birdhouse with your name, address, email, phone number, the category you have entered, and whether you would like to donate your birdhouse to benefit one of the two named local nonprofits (and if so, which one). For the Natural Habitat category, please indicate the type of bird. For the Bucks County Landmark category, please include a picture of the real landmark.
  • Please do not include lighting, movement, or other electronic or battery-operated components in the construction or decoration of the entry.
  • Peddler’s Village is not responsible for any birdhouses on display.
  • Best of the Nest is a family-friendly display. Peddler’s Village reserves the right not to display an entry that is deemed offensive, controversial, inappropriate, religious, political, or poorly constructed and may remove entries based on guest complaints or damage.

Support Local Nonprofits

For this event, Peddler’s Village is proud to partner with the Bucks County Chapter of the American Institute of Architects and the Honey Hollow Nature Center.


Honey Hollow Nature Center

Honey Hollow Nature Center was founded in 1969 to educate and engage children and adults of the greater Bucks County region about our natural world, with an emphasis on conservation and stewardship, including protection of birds, wildlife, and habitats.

We’re just around the corner from Peddler’s Village. Honey Hollow Nature Center maintains a thriving nature preserve with over six miles of hiking trails that are open to the public from dawn to dusk every day for hiking, bird watching, or just enjoying. The grounds boast an organic vegetable garden, Audubon Pond, meadows, forests, and of course, the Honey Hollow creek.

Honey Hollow Nature Center offers a wide variety of programs for all ages. Each year Honey Hollow provides high quality educational programs for over 5,000 people, from children at summer camp and field trips to birding trips and lectures for all ages. Visit honeyhollownaturecenter.org for more information on our programs. Venmo: @HoneyHollowTrails 


AIA Bucks County’s George J. Donovan Memorial Scholarship

AIA Bucks County’s George J. Donovan Memorial Scholarship assists Bucks County high school graduates (graduating seniors) interested in furthering their education in architecture and related fields. The scholarship was created in memory of George J. Donovan, AIA who was instrumental in shaping the architecture of Bucks County during his career of over 50 years until his passing in 2018. In his retirement, Mr. Donovan was a prolific watercolor artist who displayed his work in the former Upstairs Gallery at Peddler’s Village. Over the years, Mr. Donovan and the firm that is part of his legacy, Phillips & Donovan Architects, LLC, have been instrumental in the planning and design of many of the buildings in Peddler’s Village.