Festival of the Cranes canceled amid shutdown

For the first time in its 36-year history, the Festival of the Cranes at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge has been canceled, another outcome of the ongoing federal government shutdown that has furloughed refuge staff and brought critical habitat work to a halt.

The Friends of Bosque del Apache has hosted the beloved event each November since incorporating in 1993. Last week they announced the difficult decision to cancel this year’s event, citing safety, access, and staffing challenges that made it impossible to ensure the quality experience visitors have come to expect.

Festival Manager Cari Powell said the Friends board carefully weighed every option before reaching the decision. On Monday she said they are “heartbroken” to cancel this year’s event, and said this year was meant to be the biggest in-person gathering since they had to go on-line-only during the pandemic.

“The board met last week and considered all the pieces—contracts, caterers, equipment rentals—but ultimately it came down to the refuge staff,” said Powell. “They haven’t been able to work for the whole month of October, and their top priority is to support the overwintering birds. That means mowing fields, flooding wetlands and grading roads. There just isn’t enough time left to prepare for visitors.”

The refuge currently employs 11 staff members who have not been able to work since the government shutdown on Oct. 1. While the volunteers of Friends handle event planning, such as programming classes and workshops, refuge staff are the boots on the ground that ensure bathrooms are clean, the grounds are maintained, and access to the wildlife refuge is safe.

Normally, the festival draws hundreds of birders, photographers, and nature lovers from around the world to celebrate the annual arrival of thousands of sandhill cranes and snow geese. Last year Powell estimated about 1,200 people visited Socorro and the refuge during festival week, including 500 paid registrants for workshops and tours.

“We were hoping for over 600 registrants,” she said. “The interest was huge—lots of emails, phone calls, social media questions. People were really excited. It was going to be a big year.”

For those who have already made plans, all hope is not lost.

Despite there being no staff, trash services, buildings or bathrooms operating right now, the wildlife refuge itself is still open and accessible to visitors. Those guests, however, must prepare themselves to be “self-sufficient,” and Powell hopes such visitors will be respectful and treat the area with care.

Additionally, the events surrounding the festival are still slated to happen in Socorro, including the Socorro County Arts Commission’s Arts and Crafts Fair at the Garcia Opera House. Powell encourages people to refer to the ‘Other Area Events’ page on Friends website to see what’s going on and support the community.

Despite the disappointment, Powell said the outpouring of understanding from the public has been heartening.

The Friends organization is asking supporters to help bridge the gap through donations, online shopping in the Nature Store, and participation in fundraisers such as the annual crane-themed quilt raffle.

“Everyone knows we’re in a hard spot and didn’t want to make this decision,” Powell said. “It helps to feel like we’re all in this together—and we can come back next year and make it great.”

For now, while the cranes return to the Bosque, the festival will have to wait until 2026 to soar again.