The inaugural Yampa Valley Crane Festival takes place September 16-19 in Steamboat Springs and Hayden, plus a pre-festival screening of the International Wildlife Festival award-winning film Born To Fly on Thursday, Sept. 13 as part of the library's ongoing Wild Films series.

Sunday's Yampa Valley Crane Festival programming focuses on family crane viewing and educational programs, plus a photography workshop. Sunday's Crane Festival headquarters is The Nature Conservancy's Carpenter Ranch in Hayden.

All events are FREE.

Please click on the links below for detailed festival schedules for each day.

Monday, Sept. 17
Tuesday, Sept. 18
Wednesday, Sept. 19
Keynote Speaker, Dr. George Archibald
Schedule for Sunday, Sept. 16 is below...

6:15 a.m.    
Board shuttle at the Stockbridge Transit Center (1505 Lincoln Ave.) for crane viewing in Hayden. A $5 donation is suggested to cover the cost of fuel for the shuttle.

7 a.m.   
View cranes near the Carpenter Ranch in Hayden. Today’s viewing sessions will be geared toward children but all ages are welcome to participate.  

Maps to crane viewing sites are available at the Carpenter Ranch (on U.S. Hwy 40 in Hayden), Bucking Rainbow (730 Lincoln Ave. in Steamboat Springs), Off the Beaten Path Bookstore (68 Ninth Street, in Steamboat Springs) and at the Bud Werner Memorial Library front desk (1289 Lincoln Ave. in Steamboat Springs). Or check it out on Google Maps here.

8 a.m.     
Dutch treat Yampa Valley Crane Festival breakfast in Hayden:  3 Wire Restaurant at Yampa Valley Regional Airport (For free parking, validate ticket at restaurant) and Hi-Way Bar (newly remodeled and family-friendly) at 136 East Jefferson (U.S. Highway 40).

9:30-11:30 a.m.
Family activities at Carpenter Ranch
Crane picture coloring and show-and-tell crane specimens throughout the morning.

9:30 a.m.     
Birds, Beaks & Feet, led by a Yampatika naturalist at the Carpenter Ranch.

9:45 a.m.
Origami crane making at the Carpenter Ranch.

10 a.m.– 5 p.m.
Photographer Don Tudor's crane photos on display at Sleeping Giant Gallery, 601 Lincoln Ave.

10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Photographer Thomas D. Mangelsen's crane photos on display at Mangelsen's Images of Nature, 730 Lincoln Ave. Manglesen's 48-minute  DVD  Cranes of the Grey Wind  will screen upon request. Mention you are attending the Yampa Valley Crane Festival to receive a 25% discount off any gallery purchase.

10 a.m.–7 p.m.
Crane artwork by local artists on display at The Artists' Gallery of Steamboat, 1009 Lincoln Ave.

10 a.m.
Crane storytelling with David Moulton at the Carpenter Ranch.

10:15 a.m.
Crane Dancing, led by a Yampatika naturalist at the Carpenter Ranch.

10:45 a.m.
Bird walk at the Carpenter Ranch led by the Yampa Valley Birding Club. Tour the historic Carpenter Ranch house and exhibits.

11:15 a.m.
Crane calling contest, led by the Yampa Valley Birding Club at the Carpenter Ranch.

11:30 a.m.     
Board shuttle at Carpenter Ranch for return to Steamboat.

11:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. 
Break.  Visitors can drive Morgan Bottoms Road near Hayden, and the surrounding area, to look for cranes and other birds and wildlife. The Hayden Heritage Center Museum is also open 11 a.m.-5 p.m., at the corner of Pearl Street and Poplar Street.

3:30 p.m.  
Board shuttle at the Stockbridge Transit Center (1505 Lincoln Ave.) for the Carpenter Ranch. A $5 donation is suggested to cover the cost of fuel for the shuttle.

4 p.m.   
Carpenter Ranch Field Workshop:  “Wildlife Photography for Beginners”  with local wildlife photographer Judy Jones. Bring your camera, a tripod if you have one, hiking boots or comfortable walking shoes, and your enthusiasm.
 

Judy Jones has been a working photographer for more than 40 years with a special passion for featuring environmental portraits of our beloved North American wildlife in her shows and magazine articles. She is pro-active seeking out endangered and threatened species. Check out her website at
www.judy-jones-photo-source.com.
 

4-5:30 p.m. 
Family activities at Carpenter Ranch
Crane picture coloring and show-and-tell crane specimens throughout the afternoon.

4 p.m.   
Birds, Beaks & Feet, led by a Yampatika naturalist at the Carpenter Ranch.

4:15 p.m.
Origami crane making, at the Carpenter Ranch.

4:30 p.m.
Crane Dancing, led by a Yampatika naturalist at the Carpenter Ranch.

4:45 p.m.
Crane storytelling with David Moulton at the Carpenter Ranch.

5:15 p.m.
Crane calling contest, led by the Yampa Valley Birding Club at the Carpenter Ranch.

5:30 p.m.   
Picnic dinner (B.Y.O.) at the Carpenter Ranch, or visit local Hayden restaurants.

6:45 p.m.    
Shuttle leaves the Carpenter Ranch for crane viewing, followed by return to Steamboat.

7 p.m.   
View cranes near the Carpenter Ranch in Hayden.
 

The Yampa Valley Crane Festival is presented by the Colorado Crane Conservation Coalition and co-sponsored by American Kestrel Press,  Audubon Rockies, BookTrails, Bud Werner Memorial Library, Colorado State Council of the Humane Society of the United States, The Nature Conservancy, Klauzer & Tremaine, LLC, Mangelsen Images of Nature, Off the Beaten Path Bookstore, U.S. Forest Service, Yampa Valley Birding Club, Yampa Valley Land Trust and Yampatika.

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