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Join us October 12 – 13 for the 25th Annual CraneFest! 
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CraneFest 2019
October 12–13 | Noon to dusk
Kiwanis Youth Conservation Area
22300 15 Mile Rd.
Bellevue, MI 49021
www.cranefest.org
Click here for directions
25th Annual CraneFest Celebrates Sandhill Crane Migration
Art, food, animals, and more!
Grab a chair or blanket and settle in next to Big Marsh Lake to watch as thousands of migrating Sandhill Cranes fly in to roost during the 25th Annual CraneFest on Oct. 12–13. Together with the Kiwanis Club of Battle Creek, Michigan Audubon brings this popular fall event to Bellevue, Mich.

From noon to dusk, the event features guided nature hikes, activities for kids, live animal exhibits, food vendors, nature-themed artisans, conservation organizations, and concludes with the highlight of the day, optimal viewing of Michigan’s largest bird coming in to roost for the night. 

Sandhill Cranes will fly into and out of the marsh all day with the highest concentration of birds arriving around dusk. More than 2,500 cranes were viewed each night during the 2018 event.

“It is such a gift to witness and celebrate the migration of Sandhill Cranes, a species that is more than 2.5 million years old, right here in Michigan," said Michigan Audubon’s Executive Director Heather Good. “There is something for everyone at this conservation-minded festival. Please join us as we watch their impressive fly-in and acknowledge the conservation success story of a bird that was once almost extinct due to hunting and habitat loss."

Sandhill Cranes are believed to be the oldest living bird species, having existed for more than 2.5 million years. They measure up to five feet tall with wings spanning six feet in length. In the 1930s, habitat destruction and hunting left only 17 pairs of Sandhill Cranes in Michigan. Today, conservation efforts have led to a steady increase in populations with an estimated 30,000 cranes living in Michigan.

Admission to CraneFest is free. Parking is $7. The festival is located at the Kiwanis Youth Conservation Area, 22300 Fifteen Mile Rd., Bellevue, MI 49021.

For more information, visit www.cranefest.org or call 517-580-7364.

>> Learn more about CraneFest 2019
CraneFest Schedule of Events

Live Animal Displays
Nature Discovery
Featuring Amphibians & Reptiles
1–6 p.m. | Saturday Only
Binder Park Zoomobile
1–3 p.m. | Sunday Only 
Michigan Avian Experience
3–5 p.m. | Sunday Only

Guided Nature Walks
Every half hour from 1–3:30 p.m.

Childrens' Activities
Storytime
1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Kids' Habitat Walk
2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
Ongoing throughout the festival:
Crafts
Migration Game
Crane Scavenger Hunt
Wingspan Banner

CraneFest Vendors, Artists, & Organizations
2019 Artists

Bearwave Publications

Bridgette Jones Nature Prints

Carvings by Curly

Mike Van Houzen

Roy Van Loo Jr., Wildlife Artist

2019 Vendors

Cosmic Burrito Food Truck

B. E. Henry Association

Green Scene of Marshall

Haigh’s Sugar House Farm

2019 Organizations

All Species Kinship

Citizen’s Climate Lobby

Earthbound of Olivet College

Michigan Bluebird Society

Michigan Hawking Club

Michigan Loon Preservation Association

Michigan Nature Association

Night Nature Alliance

Songbird Protection Coalition

 

Are you interested in taking part in CraneFest as an artist, vendor, or conservation organization? Contact Education Coordinator Lindsay Cain at lcain@michiganaudubon.org or 517-580-7364 to learn more information on how to be a part of CraneFest.

Handicap Accessibility
Handicap parking is available near the Sandhill Crane viewing area along with a handicap accessible portajohn. Other things of note:
  • Golf carts will be available to assist people with mobility issues to get from one place to another on festival grounds.
  • The terrain is grass/dirt and slightly hilly. Rain leading up to or during the event may cause additional difficulties for those navigating the festival with strollers, canes, walkers, and manual or motorized wheelchairs.
  • Chairs and benches are not widely available and guests of the festival should bring their own.
  • The Kiwanis property is not equipped with outdoor lights and it can become difficult to see for people making their way back to their vehicles at dusk.
  • For those with sensory or hearing issues, the noise level can become loud as the number of cranes increases as the day goes on.
If you have any questions about accessibility, please call the Michigan Audubon office at 517-580-7364 or email events@michiganaudubon.org.

Sandhill Crane Viewing at Kiwanis Youth Conservation Area

Not able to make it to CraneFest? No worries. The Kiwanis Club of Battle Creek generously opens their property at the Kiwanis Youth Conservation Area to public crane viewing for a few weekends in the fall.

You can visit the property to experience hundreds of Sandhill Cranes flying in to Big Marsh Lake as they prepare for migration in the coming weeks. The best viewing time is from 5 p.m. to dusk but can change as sunset gets earlier.

Crane viewing is free, but please remember it is run by volunteers who may choose to cancel public viewing due to weather or other circumstances at any time.

The focus of CraneFest is to raise awareness and appreciation of our natural heritage, celebrate the majesty of Michigan’s largest bird, and to support the ongoing education and conservation efforts of Michigan Audubon and our
Bernard W. Baker Bird Sanctuary.
Michigan Audubon connects birds and people for the benefit of both through conservation, education, and research efforts in the state of Michigan.
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