2023 marks the 40th anniversary of the Monte Vista Crane Festival. Over the past four decades, we have grown from a small event, largely attended by SLV locals, to a thriving, three-day festival filled with tours, lectures, live bird exhibits, photography classes and an arts and crafts show. Although COVID forced us to pull back on in-person events, it is our hope that 2023 will bring a return to the informative, fun-filled lineup of activities that have helped make the Monte Vista Crane Festival one of the can't miss events of the year in the San Luis Valley.

Last fall, the Friends of the San Luis Valley National Wildlife Refuges was awarded a $28,000 marketing matching grant from the Colorado Tourism Office (CTO) to fund an enhanced marketing program for the Monte Vista Crane Festival with the goal of increasing visitor stays and spending during and around the annual series of events each spring. In addition to a video about the festival that is currently in production, some of the funds from this grant helped fund a little brand update for the MVCF "dancing cranes" logo that will help the Monte Vista Crane Festival brand move boldly into its next 40 years.

The goal of this brand refresh was to maintain the iconic dancing cranes and mountains, while unifying the elements in a way that allows for a more successful display on a variety of print and digital products.