Marsh Madness 2022 Schedule
Learn more about our Festival Kickoff Activities and other Festival Exhibitions, below:
Marsh Madness Outdoor Kickoff Activities
Saturday, February 26th, 2022, 8:00am - 4:00pm
Roy Clark Building, Humphrey's Park, Linton, Indiana
Marsh Madness 2022 will kickoff on Saturday, February 26, at Humphrey's Park in Linton, Indiana. Come celebrate safely outdoors with us, with events including:
- Pick up maps for self-guided driving tours (7:30am - 7:00pm)
- Day-of tips where bird guides are posted
- Nature scavenger hunt with prizes
- "Wonderful Whooping Cranes of Indiana" presented by the International Crane Foundation (9:00am - 4:00pm)
- Build a birdhouse (10:00am - 2:00pm)
- Hands-on nature learning table
- Marsh Madness cool merchandise available
- Wilkes Food Truck on-site for breakfast and lunch (8:00am - 4:00pm)
Wildlife Art Exhibition
On display February 1 - March 12, 2022 (open Wed-Sat 11-3)
Special Hours Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022: 10:00am - 4:00pm
Carnegie Heritage and Art Center
110 East Vincennes St., Linton, Indiana
Featured Artist: Bruce Neckar
Bruce Neckar, an American fine artist was born and raised in Noblesville, Indiana. Neckar was an Honor Graduate and earned his B.A. from Ball State University in 1971. While at Ball State, Neckar was a Graduate Teaching Assistant to Thomas Minkler. Minkler was a well-known artist and printmaker and served as the Chair of the Art Department and a Master Printer. Minkler served as an inspiration and mentor to Neckar.
Neckar is the recipient of multiple local and national awards, including Best Publication National Design Award from the Kansas Graphic Guild, Special Contribution to Graphic Design, Indiana Society of Architects, Evansville Regional Fine Arts Best of Show, Central States Regional Premium Award, Best Drawing Category, Swope Gallery, National Exhibition, Terre Haute, Indiana, and many more. He also has several pieces of work purchased for private and museum collections, internationally and has been involved in numerous group and one-man exhibitions.
For many years, he was the Creative Director, Art Director, and Senior Designer for a large Mid-western print firm. Neckar has also developed and assisted in workshops and lectures. He opened the Neckar Gallery in 1980, located in his hometown, Noblesville, Indiana.
Edward Hopper, Winslow Homer, and Jasper Johns are artist that Neckar sights as influences, but his greatest influence is nature itself, and is most often the subject of his work---though he does not consider himself to be a "nature artist." Neckar has a strong affinity for nature conservancy and belongs to many nature-oriented organizations. Active in local and national environmental issues, Neckar also serves as the Artist in Residence for Casting For Recovery Indiana, a non-for-profit organization devoted to the physical therapy and support of breast cancer survivors.
A lifelong musician, Neckar is also a founding member of the Poison River Boys, a bluegrass group that has performed all over central Indiana. He lives in Noblesville, Indiana with his wife, Karen also an artist, along with his dogs.
Goose Pond Visitors Center New Exhibits
Goose Pond Fish and Wildlife Area
13540 W County Road 400 South
8:00am - 4:00pm
Birds of Prey Presentation 1 pm
Marsh Madness 2022 would not be complete without stopping by the Goose Pond wetlands and our beautiful Visitors Center:
- Visitors Center inside exhibits open
- New aerial flyway and wetland functions displays
- Naturalists on hand to answer questions
- Enjoy beautiful panoramic views from the highest elevation in Goose Pond!
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.”