Celebrate the migration of Sandhill Cranes through Teton Valley at this annual event. The festival will include crane tours, workshops, live storytelling, guided painting, a film screening, speaker, and Saturday community celebration with Teton Valley Art Market.

All proceeds from Greater Yellowstone Crane Festival events go towards the Greater Yellowstone Sandhill Crane Initiative at Teton Regional Land Trust. This project’s purpose is to secure and actively manage habitat in Teton Valley in order to sustain the largest pre-migration staging population of Sandhill Cranes in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. 

Schedule:

Wednesday, September 20

Morning Sandhill Crane Tour, 7-9am, Teton Regional Land Trust (TRLT), Driggs

Sign up for a morning tour to circumnavigate the habitat for staging Sandhill Cranes in Teton Valley. Each tour will have a naturalist on board to discuss crane ecology, behavior, and conservation. $10, limited to 20 people.

Crane-themed Paint and Sip with Nicolette Maw, 6-8pm, Wildlife Brewing, Victor

Local artist, Nicolette Maw, will guide you through the creation of your very own crane painting. Nicolette specializes in wildlife scenes represented with bright, vibrant colors. You do not need to be an artist or have any prior experience. She will guide and teach you how to make something you’ll be proud to take home. All supplies will be provided and delicious food and drink for purchase will be available through Wildlife Brewing. $55, limited to 25 people. 

Thursday, September 21

Morning Sandhill Crane Tour, 7-9am, TRLT, Driggs

Sign up for a morning tour to circumnavigate the habitat for staging Sandhill Cranes in Teton Valley. Each tour will have a naturalist on board to discuss crane ecology, behavior, and conservation. $10, limited to 20 people.

Live Crane-themed Storytelling with Valley Voices, 6:30-9pm, Highpoint Cider, Victor

Join the Land Trust for an exciting live storytelling event with the theme of “Migrations.” Local storytellers will entertain you with true stories, sometimes hilarious and sometimes heartbreaking, but always genuine. Valley Voices, the informal storytelling group modeled off of forums like Cabin Fever in Jackson and The Moth Radio Hour, is partnering with TRLT to share vignettes from the community. Highpoint’s own amazing ciders will be available for purchase. $5 donation, paid at the door.

Friday, September 22

Morning Sandhill Crane Tour, 7-9am, TRLT, Driggs

Sign up for a morning tour to circumnavigate the habitat for staging Sandhill Cranes in Teton Valley. Each tour will have a naturalist on board to discuss crane ecology, behavior, and conservation. $10, limited to 20 people.

Keynote Speaker and Film Screening, 6:30-8:30pm, Pierre’s Theater, Victor

Daniel P. Collins, Migratory Game Bird Biologist, USFWS Southwest Region, will present on “Western Sandhill Crane Conservation and Management: Perspective from the last 10 years 2012-2022.” For the past 11 years, Dan has been involved in the research and monitoring of the Rocky Mountain and Lower Colorado River populations of Sandhill Cranes. He has trapped and marked over 1,000 cranes, flown fall surveys, conducted recruitment surveys, and been involved with many aspects of western Greater Sandhill Crane management and conservation at local, regional, and flyway scales.

After the talk, we’ll show “Crane Song,” a documentary by Nebraska Public Media. This is a stunning visual essay of the Sandhill Crane’s migration through Nebraska, weaving together striking images and majestic sounds of the birds’ journey with the stories and insights of the individuals who observe these creatures, as well as landowners endeavoring to ensure a habitat that is welcoming to the cranes. Beer, wine, and snack bar concessions available for purchase at the theater. $15.

Saturday, September 23

Greater Yellowstone Crane Festival Fair with Teton Valley Art Market, 10-3pm, Driggs City Center Plaza, Driggs

Back by popular demand, the Greater Yellowstone Crane Festival will conclude with a big community celebration on the plaza at Driggs City Center. In conjunction with the Teton Valley Art Market, with more than 20 local artist booths, we will also have food and drink available for purchase from Juanita’s Tamales and Highpoint Cider, crane-themed performances by Idaho Falls School of Ballet, Summit School of the Arts, and Hispanic Heritage Dancers, and even a “bear charging” station and free bear spray giveaways from the Idaho Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Visit the Land Trust tent to find kid’s crafts, a crane art and sculpture auction, and Sandhill Crane educational information, as well as Crane Festival merchandise. Free to attend.

Poetry and Printmaking Workshop with Laura and Ava Reynolds, 10am-12pm, Seniors West of the Tetons (SWOT)

Experiencing cranes can echo the feeling of experiencing art. In color, movement and sound, cranes speak to our creative selves. During this collaborative visual art and poetry workshop, we will create compositions in response to our observations of cranes and our accompanying thoughts and feelings about these beautiful birds that inspire us. $15, limited to 15 participants.

Drawing Workshop with Sue Tyler, 1-3pm, SWOT

Explore the process of drawing birds local to Teton Valley with artist Sue Tyler. This workshop is for beginners as well as more experienced artists who want to practice drawing fundamentals. Sue will lead you through techniques to improve observational skills and use of drawing techniques and materials. Materials will be available or bring your favorite sketchbook and tools. $15, limited to 20 participants.

Photography Workshop with Linda Swope, 4-8pm, SWOT

Join us for this exceptional opportunity for crane photography with a focus on improving your composition techniques. No matter your camera knowledge or photography levels, good composition will improve your images instantly. Linda Swope, an award-winning lifelong professional photographer will teach you how to draw the viewer’s eye to your subject. Learn the value of post-processing cropping to finish your work of art. Take your photography to a higher plane. The workshop will move from classroom to protected property and is timed perfectly for photographing Sandhill Cranes along their migration route. You can photograph the flyover until sunset, capturing memorable images and a unique experience. $30, limited to 25 participants.

Festival Date: September 20, 2023 - September 23, 2023 

Location: Various locations in Teton Valley

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