Marsh Madness Festival 2026
This year's festival will be held February 20th-21st, 2026 at the Linton Elks Club, Humphreys Park, and Goose Pond Fish and Wildlife Area. We'll see you there! Saturday only $5, all kids free. Both days $30, the 2-day ticket can be purchased on this site in the shop. Saturday only tickets can only be purchased at the event.
Friends of Goose Pond is proud to present the 17th Marsh Madness Sandhill Crane Festival, celebrating the spring migration of sandhill cranes, whooping cranes, and numerous waterfowl to the Goose Pond Fish and Wildlife Area, a 9000-acre wetland complex south of Linton, Indiana.
Marsh Madness features a variety of cultural, educational, and wildlife conservation-oriented experiences. There’s something for everyone: migrating cranes and waterfowl, wetland driving tours, educational exhibits at the Goose Pond Visitors Center, wildlife art display, and family and kid’s nature activities.
- Festival Kickoff Linton Elks Club, Linton, IN, on Feb. 20, 2026. Doors open at 5pm. Dinner buffet, silent and live auction.
- Saturday February 21, 2026, Roy Clark Building, Humphreys Park. 9am to 4pm.
- Saturday February 21, 2026, Goose Pond Fish and Wildlife Area Visitors Center 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.
2026 Fundraising Update from Kalli Dunn, Property Manager, Indiana DNR
Goose Pond celebrated 20 years as a Fish and Wildlife Area in fall of 2025. The area continues to be a valuable resource for wildlife and for people to enjoy alike. Part of what makes Goose Pond so special is the unique wetland habitats and grasslands found here, these are called early successional habitats. They are young habitats fulfilling an important role in nature for our native Indiana wildlife and at Goose Pond, we strive to maintain and improve these habitats by constantly hitting the reset button. This habitat work requires heavy equipment at times and that is why this year, the Friends of Goose Pond decided they wanted to fund a bigger project for Marsh Madness and have chosen to purchase an earth moving pan to be used in wetland work on Goose Pond. This pan will allow us to improve our levees and increase important habitat for migratory birds and waterfowl
The Friends of Goose Pond have set a goal of $30,000 for this project!
About The Marsh Madness Festival
The Marsh Madness Sandhill Crane Festival is a community-based event timed to coincide with the peak Sandhill Crane and waterfowl migration at Goose Pond Fish and Wildlife Area in Greene County, Indiana. Festival headquarters are at Humphrey’s Park in the nearby city of Linton. The Festival takes place in early March. Events include a kick-off banquet, craft fair, live birds of prey on display, informational and educational presentations, bus tours, self-guided tours, kids activities, and much more.
The 2010 inaugural Festival was a huge success and provided a solid foundation for the future growth of the crane celebration. The Festival is put on by the Friends of Goose Pond in partnership with Goose Pond FWA and with the help of many civic organizations and businesses from Greene County and beyond. Numerous conservation organizations also contribute help.
The Festival vision statement from early grant applications reads: “Marsh Madness will be a destination for visitors from across the Midwest by celebrating the County’s richly abundant and inherently beautiful natural areas, the centerpiece of which will be the spring migration of waterfowl and cranes to Goose Pond Fish and Wildlife Area. Interpretive programs and educational materials and artistic displays will inspire Festival goers while instilling in them a strong conservation ethic.”