The Downtown Clean up and Planting of the Planters is happening Saturday May 5^th from 9-1.  Please bring your gloves (rakes and shovels are needed too) and be ready to dig in and make Downtown beautiful!  We will meet at Kaufmann Park for instructions. Our first goal will be to get all of the planters planted; once that is done, we can move on to other areas that need attended too. The Green Team has been out working on cleaning and picking up the trash as well as the weeds.

Please help spread the word, and thank you for your time and energy!

The Sandhills Journey Scenic Byway will be hosting the 5th Annual Polar Bear Tank Race on March 2nd and 3rd in Mullen and Thedford, Nebraska. If you are looking for some winter fun that is out of the ordinary, this is the event for you! Teams race or float down the Middle Loup River in a stock tank. The tanks can hold up to 8 people, and many teams dress in elaborate costumes with themes for their entries. There is a welcome reception, chili cook-off, meals, Awards Banquet, lots of laughs and more! 

Spaces are limited. Visit SandhillsJourney.com for more information.

Each spring something magical happens in the Platte River Valley: More than 80% (500,000+) of the world's population of Sandhill Cranes converge on this critical sliver of threatened habitat. Millions of migrating ducks and geese arrive with them.

National Geographic named this annual migration as one of North America’s two greatest natural wildlife phenomena,  the other being Alaska’s Caribou migration. Designated as the #1 place in the world for bird watchers by Forbes FYI, Grand Island and Hall County are at the heart of the Central Flyway. This one-of-a-kind experience draws beginning birders to scientists from across the country and across the globe.

The Crane Trust Nature & Visitor Center is the hub for migration activities offering bridge and blind tours to view cranes up close, presentations, exhibits and a gift shop. The Center’s 2012 events were planned taking cues from the book and recent film The Big Year – starring Jack Black, Steve Martin and Owen Wiilson. Events include book discussions, a screening of the film and a day-trip with Greg Miller, inspiration for the book and for Jack Black’s character.

The gallery in the Nature & Visitor Center showcases artists throughout the year. Prairie Winds Art Center and Stuhr Museum – one of the top living history museums in the country according to Good Housekeeping magazine – also display and sell crane-related artwork during March.

The peak of the migration occurs during the second half of March. Towards the end of March, you might also catch a glimpse of endangered Whooping Cranes or venture into the Sandhills to watch the colorful mating rituals of the Prairie Chickens.

Come dance with the cranes this March, an event that The New York Times bestseller 1,000 Places To See Before You Die calls a “must see.” For more information, call 800-658-3178 or email LizG@VisitGrandIsland.com. 

We're proud to have been instrumental in bringing this Championship and the 2012-2013 Championships to Grand Island! 

Three Convention & Visitors Bureau staffers attended the Nebraska Travel Conference in October, Executive Director Renee Seifert, Marketing Manager Paul Nielsen and Grand Island Sports Council Intern Justin Gilson. The two-day event allowed us to connect with other people and publications relevant to Nebraska tourism. This was particularly important for Nielsen, in his first year working in the industry. He came back from the event full of ideas! 

The CVB also bid on and won a few marketing opportunities that were part of NETA's Silent Auction. Each opportunity was won at a substantial savings and should be a boon to our advertising plan over the next year. 

The following lists Grand Island Christmas Celebrations (as of October 21st):

Downtown Christmas

November 18, 5-8pm • Downtown Grand Island

Sweet treats, storytellers, sleigh rides, caroling & costumed strollers, musical groups in stores & on street corners and of course – Mr. & Mrs. Claus. 

Mannheim Steamroller 

November 19, 2011, 4:30 & 8pm • Heartland Events Center

$37 and up plus fees. For tickets call 308-398-1480.

Santa Arrives at Conestoga Mall 

November 25th • Conestoga Mall

LaCamerata Madrigal Singers’ “Merry Ole Yuletide Feast” 

November 26-28, 6:30pm • Balz Reception Hall • 308-390-7467 • $25, reserved seating only

This holiday production of a Merry Ole 16th Century Yuletide Feast provides guests with a unique experience. Join the singers for feasting, music, merriment and more!

Community Caroling 

December 1st – 22nd • Conestoga Mall • 308-382-7463

Local community groups, schools and churches will help usher in the Holiday Season bringing joyful music to holiday shoppers.

The Singing Christmas Tree

December 3-4, 10-11, 17-18 • Evangelical Free Church  308-382-1898 • $6/person suggested donation

A well-known local tradition featuring live animals, dazzling lights, 160 actors, lots of music and a very large Christmas Tree.

Grand Island City Singers Christmas Concert 

December 3-4, Sat 7:30pm, Sun 2pm • St. Paul’s Lutheran Church • Adults $8 Students $5 

Another popular Grand Island holiday tradition: The Grand Island City Singers celebrate the holiday season with traditional and contemporary songs.

Stuhr Museum’s Christmas Past & Present 

December 3, 9-11, 6-9pm • 3133 W Hwy 34 • 308-385-5316 • Museum admission

Experience this classic event as lanterns light your way for a magical look at holiday traditions at one of the country’s top living history museums.

Antique Christmas Decorations 

December 3-4, 6-8pm• Stolley House in Stolley Park • 308-380-3623 • Free Will Donation

Live Manger Scene 

December 4 • Fonner Park, Big Red Barn • 308-382-1952

Soup supper to follow in the 4-H Café – charge for the meal.

Breakfast with Santa 

December 10 • Conestoga Mall • 308-382-4210

Annual Community Christmas Dinner 

December 25, noon-2pm • St. Paul’s Lutheran Church • 308-382-2973 • Free will donations

Stuhr Museum is featuring a great slate of events in November, as they usually do.  

A tinsmithing class will be offered November 5-6. Participants will make cookie cutters, cups, boxes or a lunch pail. Learn how to handle tools and create your own pieces. This class is specifically designed for couples or a parent/child to take together. 

If you're looking for a heavier craft, take the blacksmithing course, also November 5-6. Blacksmithing 2 is for those who have completed Blacksmithing 1 and will include more advanced hammer and metalworking techniques. This class is  limited to 6 participants and pre-registration is required.  

And if you're not interested in bending tin or hammering iron, decorate a Christmas tree for the museum's annual Fantasy of Trees. During the Holiday Preview on November 20th, which will give you a first look at the Fantasy of Trees, there will also be a Candy House Making Class.  

For more information on any of Stuhr Museum's events, visit StuhrMuseum.org.

Moreover, Grand Island has been selected as the site for the 2012-2013 NSAA State Volleyball Championships scheduled for November 8-10, 2012 and November 14-16, 2013! We're thrilled to have this competition come back to our city.