Following is a list of the most popular tourist attractions and annual events in Grand Island and Hall County:

Nebraska Bird Observatory at Crane Meadows

Just eight miles west and a few miles south of Grand Island at Interstate 80 Exit 305 is the Nebraska Bird Observatory at Crane Meadows, once known as the Crane Meadows Nature Center. The 240-acre facility is located along the majestic Platte River.

The center is devoted to educating the public and preserving the unique ecosystem of the Platte River.

In spring 2003, the nature center opened a new and expanded main building. The building offers indoor exhibits and space for educational seminars. Several meeting rooms are included in the 12,000 square feet of space at the center. The rooms are available for rental for meetings and social events.

The primary activity at Crane Meadows occurs from mid-February through mid-April when hundreds of thousands of greater sandhill cranes stop along the river during their annual migration.

The cranes have been stopping along the river for millions of years. The migration is a spectacular natural event viewed by people from all over the world.

Special tours are available throughout the migration season.

From Crane Meadows' towers and bridges, the public can observe a variety of wetland wildlife. Ducks, geese, wild turkey, deer, coyotes, bluebirds and other species can be seen. Tours, special programs, and educational events are available for both students and the general public all year round.

The center offers a gift shop featuring items like souvenir T-shirts, original photographs, lapel pins, wildlife prints, candle holders, handcrafted items and kids' toys.

For more information on Crane Meadows, call 382-1820, or visit www.cranemeadows.org.

Harvest of Harmony

Over 90 high school bands compete in street marching and field marching competitions at this annual festival of music, being held Oct. 6, 2007.

For over 60 years, the event has featured a large parade through downtown Grand Island, which includes floats by area participants and other accompanying activities.

For more information contact, Micki Ward at 382-9210.

Husker Harvest Days

Husker Harvest Days, the country's largest irrigated farm show, will be celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.

The annual event is held just northwest of Grand Island. This agricultural extravaganza set for Sept. 11, 12 and 13 in 2007 features the latest in farm machinery and crop production technology. Demonstrations, informational exhibits, a wide variety of food vendors and other farm-related exhibits are also offered during Husker Harvest Days.

The event attracts more than 100,000 visitors to the 900-acre site. Check out www.huskerharvestdays.com.

Island Oasis

The cool waters of Island Oasis water park, open Memorial Day through August 19, are ideal for beating the summer heat.

Located at 328 E. Fonner Park Road, the park includes two speed slides, six stories high and almost 300-feet long; two flume slides, 150-foot long with a swimming pool splash down area; two enclosed 150-foot dark tunnel slides; a wave pool with 350-thousand gallons of waves; a lazy river with a 750-foot continuous river with sprays, bubbles, fountains and showers; a lily pad and log walk children's area with over-strung cargo net; an otter slide kiddy slide; zero depth access walk in access for all ages; a sand play area; a sand volleyball court and a souvenir stand. Dressing rooms are also available.

The water park is located northwest of Grand Island's Fonner Park. A snack bar is available with a full menu. Also, lockers, inner tubes and life jackets are available for rent.

The park is open when temperatures are 70 degrees or higher. Hours vary as the season progresses. Beginning Memorial Day, it is open daily from noon to 9 p.m. Call for modified hours after Aug. 10.

Fully-certified lifeguards are on duty at all times.

For more information, call 385-5381, or visit www.grand-island.com/oasis.

Sandhill crane migration

From mid-February to mid-April, the skies over Grand Island come alive with one of nature's greatest spectacles: the annual migration of the greater sandhill cranes.

Over a quarter-million of these creatures stop off along the Platte River during their trip north to Canada, Alaska and Siberia. Crane Meadows Nature Center and the Audubon Society's Rowe Sanctuary near Gibbon offer tours of the cranes from river blinds.

Occasionally endangered whooping cranes are spotted among the throngs of sandhill cranes. Massive flocks of geese and ducks make this time of year wonderful for viewing a wide variety of waterfowl. Each year, Hall County draws thousands of birdwatchers from around the world to view the migration.

For more information about the annual spring migration, call the Nebraska Bird Observatory at Crane Meadows (382-1820).

Wings Over the Platte Art Show and Sale

Like the sandhill cranes that it honors, this annual festival is held in the spring.

The event, which features art from regional artists, celebrates the nature and the wildlife of the Platte River and surrounding area.

Artwork is on display for the duration of the annual sandhill crane migration (typically from late February through mid-April).

For additional information, contact the Stuhr Museum at 385-5316.

Stuhr Museum

Ranked as one of the top historical museums in the nation, the Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer on the outskirts of Grand Island brings alive stories.

The 200-plus-acre natural history museum, features two-year-round exhibit buildings that encompass Nebraska and Native American history exhibits. Dozens of historic buildings including three homes grace the town's residential area, including the cottage where actor Henry Fonda was born.

A huge Pawnee earth lodge takes visitors back to when the first Native Americana tribes built homes from cottonwood logs.

Also popular is the museum's traditional 1890's Fourth of July Celebration. In October a 1890s celebration of Halloween is planned.

From May to October, Railroad Town comes alive with old-fashioned celebrations, horse and buggies along Main Street and real townspeople merchants, a blacksmith, a marshal, housewives and others who tell stories of the past.

Other features include the main museum building, where exhibits introduce visitors to the culture and times of prairie pioneers; a rail yard exhibit, which includes a train and an antique farm machinery and auto exhibit; a 200-piece display including a threshing machine, steam engines, tractors and horse- and tractor-drawn farm implements.

For more information, call the museum at 385-5316 or check out its Web site at www.stuhrmuseum.org.

Heartland Events Center

Central Nebraska's newest venue for events, education and entertainment, the civic center opened in August 2006.

This centrally located 180,000 square foot multipurpose facility is just minutes off of Interstate 80's South Locust Exit. Located at 700 E. Stolley Park Road, it is near highways 30, 34 and 281. The Heartland Events Center adjoins Fonner Park Thoroughbred Race Track and its growing complex of the Island Oasis Water Park and softball and soccer fields, which has served the citizens of Nebraska and visitors for over 50 years, and is situated near area hotels, restaurants, shopping and other area attractions.

The Center's "Eihusen Arena" seats 6,000 to 7,500 and is equipped with a four-sided video scoreboard, as well as 12 suites, multiple concession stands and restroom facilities, six locker rooms, a gift shop, ticket office and more amenities, as well as offering in-house catering service for all facility events.

Up to 280 booths can be set up for trade shows, conventions, and large events using the 30,000 square foot floor of the Eihusen Arena with the adjoining 33,000 square foot Fonner Park concourse. It has 20 acres of well-lit hard surfaced parking.

The Heartland Events Center also features meeting and banquet facilities. The Bosselman Conference Center can accommodate 600 to 800 people for business, professional, educational and other meetings and conferences, as well as large banquets.

The easily-accessible 8,000 square foot Bosselman Conference Center can be converted into up to five breakout rooms with an adjacent kitchen to service the center.

Fonner Park offers live thoroughbred horse racing annually from February to early May and Simulcast racing from the Nation's top tracks daily, as well as Fonner Keno and Sports Bar and restaurant. The Heartland Events Center is the newest addition to a growing complex.

For more information and upcoming events, call 382-4515 or visit www.heartlandeventscenter.com.