BECOME A SPONSOR
Your support will help bolster tourism during the off-season, and help ensure a bright future for water & wildlife at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge.
Art by Kent Vaughn | 2024 Art Contest Winner
Become a 2026 Festival of the Cranes Sponsor!
Every autumn and winter we welcome the return of thousands of sandhill cranes, snow geese, raptors, and ducks to Bosque del Apache. This year we will host the 37th annual Festival of the Cranes on December 2 – 5, 2026 to honor their return.
BUT, we need your help to support this annual celebration!
This event is our largest and most anticipated gathering of the year, attracting nature lovers from every corner of New Mexico, across the country and around the world. This year, we will run over 80 events with a possible total admission of 1,500 guests. Events include birding and photography workshops and tours, hikes, cultural events and more. We will also have a large Expo Space filled with photography, optics companies and conservation partners.
Your generous support as a Festival of the Cranes Sponsor would play a crucial role in making this year’s event a success. Sponsorship contributions help us to cover essential costs and provide a memorable experience for attendees, all while supporting the vital work of conserving our wetlands.
We offer various sponsorship levels, each designed to provide significant visibility and recognition for your business. Sponsorship levels and perks can be found below!
Sponsor Festival of the Cranes
Benefits of your sponsorship:
$250 – Supporter
• Small logo and link on festival website
• Name listed in the printed Festival Program
• Logo included in slideshow presentations at the Opening Night Celebration and Friends Annual Dinner
$500 -Partner
All benefits of the Supporter level
• Medium logo on website
• Small logo on banner at the Socorro Convention Center
• Social media thank-you shoutout
• Quarter-page ad in the printed Festival Program
$1000 – Advocate
All benefits of the Partner level
• Large logo on festival website
• Medium logo on event banner
• Half-page ad in the printed Festival Program
• Free booth if approved as a vendor at Nature Fair held at the Socorro Convention Center
$2500 – Champion
All benefits of the Advocate level
• Large logo on event banner
• Full-page ad in the printed Festival Program
• Verbal thank-you during Opening Night Celebration and Friends Annual Dinner
• Featured social media post and sponsor highlight in email newsletter
• Two complimentary tickets to the Friends Annual Dinner
$5000 – Premier Sponsor
All benefits of the Champion level
• Recognition as a Premier Sponsor on signage at key festival venues
• 4 complimentary tickets to the Friends Annual Dinner
• Special thank-you gift and signed festival poster
Click here to sponsor Festival of the Cranes at your chosen level and pay online. For alternate payment methods please contact Cari at 970-759-7299 or Festival@FriendsofBosquedelApache.org.
*PLEASE NOTE – Sponsorships must be received by October 1st to be guaranteed placement on printed materials*
Photo by Sonal Karnik
Optics & Imaging Sponsorship Packages
Benefits of your sponsorship:
$1,500 – Optics Partner
- Booth space in the Camera & Optics Expo Tent at Bosque del Apache NWR
- Half-page ad in the Festival Program
- Logo on Festival website and select print/digital marketing
- Opportunity to include one printed item in the Festival Welcome Bag (e.g., flyer, postcard, or small branded giveaway, provided by sponsor)
$2,500 – Premier Optics Partner
Includes all Optics Partner benefits, plus:
- Full-page ad in the Festival Program
- Two complimentary tickets to the Friends Annual Dinner & Keynote (Dec. 12)
- Social media mention as a Premier Optics Partner
$5,000 – Signature Optics Sponsor
Includes all Premier Optics Partner benefits, plus:
- Verbal recognition at Opening Night Celebration and Friends Annual Dinner
- Priority placement and premium exposure in the Festival Welcome Bag (e.g., featured product insert, branded item, or coupon offer with prominent label)
- Recognition on Festival signage and Expo banners
- Priority booth placement in the Expo Tent
Photo by Maresa Pryor-Luzier
Many thanks to our generous 2026 sponsors!
Friends of Bosque del Apache Board
The Friends are a model organization within the wildlife conservation community. We raise sufficient funds and support for Bosque del Apache to be able to maintain the level of conservation and leadership required to ensure that the wetlands and wildlife that they support are sustained.
City of Socorro
Socorro is home to a wide array of art, music, theater, golfing, biking, hiking, rock hounding and rock climbing opportunities, as well as, a rodeo and sports complex, wildlife refuges, radio telescopes, a mineral museum, university, historical mission church and an incredible performing arts series. The Friends of Bosque del Apache thanks the City of Socorro for their generous support through the Lodger’s Tax Fund.
OM SYSTEM
OM SYSTEM, formerly known as Olympus, specializes in durable, lightweight cameras designed for outdoor photography. With high-speed autofocus, excellent image stabilization, and pro-level lenses, OM SYSTEM is favored by bird, wildlife, and landscape photographers who need reliable gear in challenging conditions.
ZEISS
Enjoy the beauty of nature through the wonderful world of ZEISS optics! Creating some of the world’s finest binoculars and spotting scopes, ZEISS products deliver an unparalleled viewing experience for those who love birding and nature observation. Visit the our booth to meet the ZEISS team and learn more!
Pattern Energy
We develop, construct, own, and operate high-quality wind, solar, transmission, and energy storage projects across North America.
New Mexico Wild
New Mexico Wild is a nonprofit conservation organization dedicated to protecting New Mexico’s wilderness, wildlife, and waters.
OPTICRON & FRONT RANGE BIRDING
Founded in 1970, Opticron has been supplying high-quality optics at reasonable prices to birders and nature enthusiasts in North America for the last 14 years. The company maxim “smaller, lighter, brighter, sharper” hold true in their Binoculars, Monoculars, Spotting Scopes, and Digiscoping accessories. Front Range Birding & Optics was one of our earliest retailers.
Food Industry Self Insurance Fund
Food Industry Self Insurance Fund (FISIF) began in 1989 as a not for profit fund which provides workers’ compensation coverage for New Mexico businesses in the food industry. We pride ourselves on being hands on regarding claims and customer service. We have clients throughout the state.
Hunt’s Photo & Video
Hunt’s maintains a well-stocked inventory of photo, video and digital imaging equipment from every major manufacturer so you’ll have plenty of options from which to choose. With eight retail locations in four New England states, Hunt’s offers an unbeatable combination of competitive pricing, sales know-how, and unparalleled customer service. Visit one of their eighth retail locations or order online!
Golas Kitchen
Golas Kitchen is a boutique catering and hospitality company ran by a husband and wife team Michal Gola and Osiris Navarro. Services include, but are not limited to catering, event coordination, consultation. Together the two incorporate their cultures, travels, love for both the Northwest and Southwest, into creating perfectly curated events, with restaurant quality food with flavors from all over the world.
Travel to Baytown, Texas
Travel to Baytown, Texas for an unmatched Gulf Coast birding experience. Positioned along two major migratory flyways, it offers incredible seasonal diversity as birds stop to rest along nearby coastal habitats. With easy access to top birding sites across the Houston region, it’s the perfect home base for out-of-state birders. Visit the Visit Baytown website to explore birding opportunities and hotel options.
SCOPE Health Council
Socorro County Options, Prevention, and Education (SCOPE) promotes healthy living, mental health, and substance misuse prevention education in Socorro County. We offer youth leadership, wellness activities, community supports, and inclusive events like Rainbow Café and Wellness Wednesday Movies—building resilience, connection, and wellness for all in Socorro County.