The 2026 Festival

February 19-22, 2026

Each year since 1996, the Whooping Crane Festival in Port Aransas, Texas, has celebrated the annual return of the cranes to their wintering habitat at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. This year, the festival is celebrating its 29th anniversary!

The four-day event will feature renowned speakers, birding trips, boating trips, nature tours, photography workshops, an exhibit fair, and much more.

Important Note: Whooping Crane Festival is paperless! ♻️

You will not need a paper ticket to check in to your purchased event. Instead, bring the ID of the purchaser straight to your event location, and your name will be checked off a manifest. This is a new way for us to demonstrate our commitment to sustainability and the future of the environment our birds need.

The Port Aransas Civic Center will be open during the festival to make purchases of any experiences that still have availability, but there will be no packet pickup. 

Festival Dates & Times at the Port Aransas Civic Center:

Registration: 

Thursday, Feb. 19: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 20: 7 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 21: 7 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 22: 7:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

Exhibit Fair:

Friday, Feb. 20: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 21: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.