With almost three decades of history, the festival will offer a full program of activities for all audiences, including birdwatching, interpretive walks, children’s workshops, exhibitions, literature, photography and music. The event aims to bring visitors closer to the natural wealth of Gallocanta Lake, one of Europe’s most important wetlands for these birds, while also promoting the conservation of its surroundings. In addition, almost all activities will be free and will not require prior registration.
A DAWN AMONG CRANES AND ACTIVITIES FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY
The day will begin early, at 7:00 a.m., with a gathering to watch the cranes leave their roosts for their feeding grounds. The meeting point will be the Buen Acuerdo hermitage, where attendees will be able to watch the birds fly at dawn. At 8:30 a.m., the Allucant Hostel will host the traditional Café Calientamanos, and an hour later, at 9:30 a.m., the interpretive walk Getting to Know Gallocanta Lake will begin. The 4.8-kilometer route will run from Las Cuerlas to La Reguera, offering insight into the wetland’s environmental and landscape features.
Children will also have their own space with the workshop ‘With an Owl’s Face’, scheduled for 11:30 a.m. in the arcades of the Allucant Hostel. The program will continue at noon with the opening of the scientific illustration exhibition Local Birds: Brushes and Prejudices, by artist Loubé (Lourdes Berzas), which can be visited in the hostel’s lounges. At 1:00 p.m., the gardens of the same venue will host Bird Bingo: How Many Birds Do We Know?, a participatory activity to test attendees’ knowledge of different bird species.
THE RETURN OF THE CRANES AT SUNSET, ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED MOMENTS
The program will continue in the afternoon with a cultural event. At 4:15 p.m., the Gallocanta Lake Visitor Center will host a presentation of the photography book ‘The Song of Water’ by its author, Jorge Ruiz del Olmo. The activity will offer an artistic perspective on the natural surroundings before giving way to one of the day’s most special moments.
At 5:15 p.m., attendees will observe the cranes returning to their roosts, as thousands of birds come back to the wetland at dusk, creating one of migration’s most characteristic scenes. Participants will meet at the Gallocanta Lake Visitor Center to watch this natural spectacle. Finally, the festival will bring the day to a close at 7:30 p.m. with an afternoon music session at the Allucant Hostel featuring DJ Tonicos, a young talent from Calamocha. The celebration will once again bring together nature, culture and community around one of Aragon’s most emblematic natural areas.
