The moment that winter gets cold, many of us dream of being some place warmer. For Sandhill cranes and Whooping cranes, that place is the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge. This year, learn about their vibrant, well-traveled lives at the Festival of the Cranes 2021. It flies into town on Jan. 9!
What is the Festival of the Cranes?
The Festival of the Cranes was designed to showcase the amazing avian species living at the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge in the winter. It sees its fair share of winged visitors around this time of year! In fact, the estimated seasonal Sandhill crane population is around 20,000. How cool is that?
What can I do at the Festival of the Cranes?
Sit back, relax, and watch a new world unfold at the Festival of the Cranes 2021. You can view a variety of live performances and fascinating presentations, all from a comfy seat at The Princess Theatre. The slate includes:
- A video presentation on the snowy owl from Paul Bannick;
- A musical performance from Gareth Laffley;
- A show from the Auburn University Southeastern Raptor Center;
- A video presentation from master falconer Lauren McGough; and
- A presentation on saving the Amazon, given by Ben Raines.
Visiting Details
Though this event usually takes place at the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge, visitors will have to spread their wings to a new location this year. All of the shows and presentations will instead take place at The Princess Theatre, which you can find 112 Second Ave. Northeast in Downtown Decatur. Admission is completely free, though seating will be limited. The event begins at 9 a.m. on Jan. 9 and will wrap up after the final presentation at 5:30 p.m.
Summary
Our world is filled with fascinating creatures—like the cranes. You can learn more about them—and their avian brothers and sisters—when you visit the Festival of the Cranes 2021 on Jan. 9.
Life around Decatur, AL is never boring. That means the new year is full of new possibilities too. If you want to reinvent yourself this year, we know a good place to start: Summer Key Apartments! View our floor plans, features, and application info here. Plus, you can soar on over to our blog to learn about new events, spotlights, and more.