25th Annual CraneFest
October 13, 2019 @ 12:00 pm - 7:00 pm
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.
Hosted by Michigan Audubon in partnership with the Kiwanis Club of Battle Creek, CraneFest is a free event held at the Kiwanis Youth Conservation Area in Bellevue which overlooks the lake and Michigan Audubon’s Baker Sanctuary.
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.
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.
CraneFest Schedule of Events
Nature Walks:
Starting every half an hour from 1–3:30 p.m.
Children’s Activities:
Education Tent | 12–5 p.m. | Migration Game, crafts, wingspan banner, crane scavenger hunt, and more
Kids’ Habitat Walk | 2 & 4 p.m.
Storytime | 1 & 3 p.m.
Live Animals Displays:
Saturday | 1–6 p.m. | Nature Discovery — Michigan Reptiles and Amphibians
Sunday | 1–3 p.m. | Binder Park Zoomobile
Sunday | 3–5 p.m. | Michigan Avian Experience — Birds of Prey
Sandhill Crane Fly-in
Most activity is close to dusk, approximately 5–7 p.m.
For more information, visit www.cranefest.org.
