Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge will be a busy place this weekend as hundreds of people with backpacks, tripods and hiking boots started arriving Wednesday, the first day of the annual Festival of the Cranes.

Many have traveled quite a distance to attend Socorro County’s annual event. According to the Festival’s website, the event draws more than 6,000 people from around the world and has an economic impact of $2.5 million each year, making it one of the larger income generating events in the county.

This year’s festival features several vendors who will be at the Macey Center on the campus of New Mexico Tech from Wednesday, December 6 until Saturday, December 9. The vendor area will open at 9 a.m. and close at 4 p.m. each day. This year’s vendors include Hunt’s Photo and Video, Canon, FujiFilm, OM System, Opticron, Tamron and Alaska Grizzly Safaris.

There also will be various workshops that will be conducted during the event and the fees vary for each workshop. Visit Friends of the Bosque Del Apache website to see courses and class availability.

On Tuesday, December 5, a course on night photography at the Very Large Array will be conducted from 3:15 to 9:30 p.m. by Lisa Langall. She’ll also conduct the course on Wednesday, December 6. Mark Buckler will teach the workshop on Friday, December 8.
As of Monday afternoon, several workshops such as Walk Out to Fly Out and Morning with the Cranes are sold out. Other workshops still with availability include: Learning the Language of Birds; The Environmental Animal Portrait; Birds and Macro Photography; Field Raptor; Crane Basics; and Winter Raptors of the Southwest; Strategies for Better Field ID, to name a few.

Photo opportunities are limitless this time of year, but one has to know where, and when, to point the camera. The morning fly-out is something that has to be seen to be believed, when thousands of cranes and geese take flight. Conversely, the fly-in at twilight offers the breathtaking sight of cranes coming in for a landing.

If you’re planning to attend this year’s event, participants are being told to dress warm as temperatures have been in the upper 20s most mornings. Other suggestions include: dress in layers; bring a warm hat; and wear warm socks plus waterproof boots. Other ideas include hand warmers, a headlamp or flashlight, binoculars, camera gear, microfiber cloths for camera lenses, binoculars and eyeglasses, a handkerchief, lip balm, and a mobile phone with bird ID apps.

When you’re not watching birds, attendees are encouraged to attend one of the many events conducted throughout Socorro this weekend including the Festival of the Cranes Arts and Crafts Fair on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Garcia Opera House in Socorro. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday.

On Saturday evening, December 9, Socorro will host its annual Electric Light parade starting at 6 p.m. The parade will roll down California Street starting at 6 p.m. and end at the historic plaza around 7 p.m. The plaza will host various Christmas crafts booths, lighting of the community Christmas tree and a visit from Santa Claus.
Plus if looking for something unique to ear, the Socorro Fire Department will host is annual Mantaza from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on Socorro’s Historic Plaza.

If you want to enjoy the local music, the Capitol Bar and Brewery and Box Canyon Brewery will have several options for patrons to enjoy. At the Capitol Bar, Johnny Dean will host an open mic from 6 to 8 p.m., Thursday, December 7; Happy Hour with Johnny Dean from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, December 8, followed by Back in the Saddle. At the Box Canyon Brewery, Robin Howard and Tyler Lam will perform at the Box Canyon Brewery from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Friday, December 8. Also Draft Sessions open mic will be from 2 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, December 9 and will be followed by Zach Story from 6 to 7:30 p.m. and Jazz Action from 8 to 9:30 p.m. On Sunday, Daphne Park Powell will perform from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, December 10.

Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge is located in Socorro County and is situated between the Chupadera Mountains to the west and the San Pascual Mountains to the east, the 57,331 acre Bosque del Apache was established in 1939 to provide a critical stopover site for migrating waterfowl. The refuge is well known for the tens of thousands of cranes, geese, and ducks who winter here each year. Over 30,000 acres of Bosque del Apache are designated wilderness.

 

 

Wanda Moeller