Crane festival starts Friday

OTHELLO — This year, more spots are available on tours for Othello’s three-day Sandhill Crane Festival, which lasts from Friday through Sunday.

New burrowing owl and sandhill crane tours were added to accommodate the demand, said LuAnn Morgan, an event spokesperson.

The event typically attracts roughly 1,500 people to Othello.

To learn the space availability on the crane and owl viewing tours, departure points, a list of other tours and talks, visit www.othellosandhillcranefestival.org and click on “Schedule” on the left side of the screen.

Phone reservations can be made by calling 866-SANDHIL.

General admission to the festival is $7 per adult and $5 for senior citizens age 65 and older.

Tour costs are extra and range from $10 to $50 per person, depending on the activity.

A 50-minute wildlife movie called “Cougar: Ghost of the Rockies,” will be shown at 5 p.m. Saturday at Reichert’s Showhouse at 130 Broadway Ave., Othello. Movie admission is $6 per person and includes free popcorn and pop.

Morgan called the movie “a nice break between tours and lectures. It’s kind of a chance to put your feet up and relax.”

About a week ago, space at motels and hotels in Othello was being reserved for festival guests, she said. Accommodations in Moses Lake are also starting to fill up.

“We would really like to see more local people attend,” Morgan remarked. “We do get a good turnout. Every year, we see more and more familiar faces. There’s not just cranes, there’s also the other wildlife.”

The featured Friday night guest speaker is nature photographer Paul Bannick.

The topic of Bannick’s talk is “The Owl and the Woodpecker: U.S. and Canadian Habitats,” which starts at 8:15 p.m. at Othello High School at 340 S. Seventh Ave.

The featured Saturday night banquet guest speaker is Oregon naturalist Steve Shunk who will speak on “Birds, Birding and Paradise.”

Shunk’s talk begins at 7:30 p.m. at Othello High School.

Morgan also mentioned the area’s geology, cultural history and children’s craft activities offered at Othello High School.

Kids younger than age 12 can take part in the children’s activities for free with an adult, who paid to attend the festival.

Washington State University’s (WSU) Raptor Club usually brings an owl and a hawk to the festival.

Injured raptors, that cannot be released into the wild, are brought to events to educate the public about the conservation of raptors, according to WSU’s Web site.

This weekend, the Old Hotel Art Gallery and the Othello Community Museum are also open.

From 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, a horse-drawn wagon will take people to the hotel and museum. The ride is free, but donations will be accepted.

Wine tasting will be offered the at the Old Hotel.

The Columbia Basin Herald is publishing a guide for the festival, which will be included in the newspaper Thursday and available throughout Othello.