There was a moment when it seemed the partial government shutdown would interfere with the Festival of Cranes, but thanks to the volunteer efforts of the Wheeler Wildlife Refuge Association, the festival is taking flight anyway.

National parks have been feeling the heat as employees are furloughed and visitor centers are closed during one of the longest government shutdowns on record. For Wheeler Wildlife Refuge, the shutdown means while the land is still open to the public, many of the resources one might find are currently unavailable.

It also means that for major events like the Festival of Cranes, which attracts thousands of attendees each year, the usual venues aren’t supposed to be open. No venue means no activities, which means no way to learn about the 20,000 sandhill and whooping cranes that would also be visiting.

“We were afraid we might have to cancel it,” said Tom Ress, a volunteer at the refuge who also serves as a board member of the Wheeler Wildlife Refuge Association.

Ress said the board discussed the possibility of not having the festival, but they decided to reach out to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service just in case. The association offered to pay for utilities and to staff the event if the federal government would agree to open the two buildings just long enough for the festival.

“It’s our big fundraiser and our biggest event as far as visitors coming in,” Ress said. “We were afraid we would have to cancel, but we’re very fortunate we did not.”

He said he isn’t sure exactly where the decision was made, but somewhere in the government chain, approval was given.

“They have agreed to allow WWRA to open the visitor center, and the observation building will be open for the weekend,” Ress said. “Volunteers and board members are the ones that will be running the festival.”

The two-day festival will have all the usual activities, including performances from Joe Wiegand as President Theodore Roosevelt, presentations from photographer David Akoubian, educational displays, children’s activities and, of course, the cranes.

“Everybody’s there to see the birds, and there’s a lot of birds down there right now,” Ress said. “We’re looking for another great event.”

Doors open 6:30 a.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. Sunday. Ress estimated 4,000 to 5,000 people will attend the festival, though other events are planned for the days leading up to it.

The Alabama Center for the Arts will screen “Journey of the Whooping Crane” at 6 p.m. Thursday. Admission is free but seating is limited, so those interested are asked to visit https://www.facebook.com/FOCatWheeler/ to make reservations.

Award-winning singer and songwriter John Paul White, former member of The Civil Wars, will perform 7 p.m. Friday at Princess Theatre in Decatur. Tickets start at $25 and are available online at https://www.princesstheatre.org. Ress said all proceeds will go toward the refuge.

Anyone who wishes to volunteer or otherwise support the festival and other refuge events can do so by contacting Wheeler Wildlife Refuge Association.

“We’re the nonprofit that supports the refuge, and we’re always looking for additional members,” Ress said. “Their dues and donations help run the refuge.”