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2013 Yampa Valley Crane Festival: Friday

Friday, September 6, 2013 - 12:00am
  • Community-wide

Friday's Yampa Valley Crane Festival events include a bird walk, depictions of cranes throughout the First Friday Art Walk, a special Crane Art Show opening at the Depot and an opportunity to try a hands-on crane painting session.

Most crane festival events are free, open to the public, and require no pre-registration.  A few activities or services require pre-registration due to a limit on the number of participants and/or a fee. These are indicated in the event descriptions below.

CRANE VIEWING MAPS!
We've been scouting the Greater Sandhill Cranes' hangouts around the Yampa Valley! Download and view maps here to venture out where you're most likely to find them. The document is a four-page pdf for easy viewing and printing at home. During the festival, printed copies will also be available at the festival info desk outside Library Hall at the Bud Werner Memorial Library, 1289 Lincoln Avenue.

Friday's Yampa Valley Crane Festival schedule:

9 a.m.-6 p.m. Crane displays at the Library
Educational displays about cranes and their habitat on display in the entry to Library Hall at the Bud Werner Memorial Library, 1289 Lincoln Avenue.

3 p.m.     Bird Walk at the Yampa River Botanic Park
Enjoy birding in one of Colorado’s few botanic parks featuring more than 40 gardens with plants from the entire Yampa River Basin. Walk will be led by members of the Yampa Valley Birding Club and staff members of the Yampa River Botanic Park. Directions to the Yampa River Botanic Park can be found here.

5-8 p.m.    Steamboat Springs' First Friday Art Walk, featuring the opening reception for a special Crane Art Show at the Depot
Stroll downtown Steamboat and wander in and out of the galleries and art venues, many of which will feature crane art. The Steamboat Springs Arts Council is partnering with the Yampa Valley Crane Festival for a month-long exhibition featuring more than 10 artists showing more than 30 works of art in various mediums. The Depot is located at 1001 13th Street, just off Lincoln Avenue and the gallery will be open 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Tuesday-Friday throughout the Crane Art Show.

Crane art is also being featured at two other Steamboat Springs galleries during First Friday: The Artists' Gallery of Steamboat (1009 Lincoln Ave.) and Images of Nature (730 Lincoln Ave.).

6:30-9:30 p.m.     Crane Painting at Splatz Canvas and Wine
Taught by local artist Julie Whitecotton, this is a step-by-step lesson in making a crane painting. The $35 fee includes your first glass of wine, all supplies and your finished painting. Splatz Canvas and Wine is located at 1104 Lincoln Avenue. Call Julie to register: 970-871-7904.

Ongoing      Crane art display at Wild Goose Coffee at the Granary
Visit the display during regular business hours throughout September. Wild Goose Coffee at the Granary is located at 198 E. Lincoln Avenue in Hayden.  
 

Links to daily schedules:

About the festival
The second annual Yampa Valley Crane Festival takes place September 6-9, 2013 in Steamboat Springs and Hayden. The Greater Sandhill Crane is an iconic species of the Yampa Valley. Returning in the spring, cranes nest and raise their young in wetland areas throughout the valley. In late summer and early fall, hundreds of cranes from the Rocky Mountain flock join the local birds to rest and feed before continuing their journey south. The festival includes daily crane viewings, expert speakers, films, art exhibits, workshops, family activities and more. All community activities and events are free unless otherwise indicated in the program!

About the festival sponsor
The Colorado Crane Conservation Coalition (CCCC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation and preservation of Sandhill Cranes in Colorado -- and lead organizer for the Yampa Valley Crane Festival each fall. Help support CCCC and the 2013 Yampa Valley Crane Festival by printing and submitting the donation form (A pdf, "CCCCSupport") at  the bottom of this page.

Festival partners
Abby Jensen Photography, BookTrails/Off the Beaten Path, Bud Werner Memorial Library, Ciao Gelato, City of Steamboat Springs, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Conservation Colorado, Council of the Humane Society of the U.S., Gerhard Assenmacher Photography, Klauzer & Tremaine, Steamboat Springs Arts Council, Steamboat Ski & Resort Corporation, The Nature Conservancy, Tom Thurston at Stagecoach Marina, U.S. Forest Service, Yampa Valley Birding Club, Yampa Valley Land Trust & Yampatika

Questions about the Yampa Valley Crane Festival? Please send us an email.