It is that wonderful time of year again, when the beautiful monarch butterflies prepare to migrate south to Mexico by flying through the Lone Star State.
To mark the annual ritual, the Monarch Festival will be held at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden on Saturday, Oct. 2, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
This family-friendly experience features various free events and includes creating your pollinator garden to support the monarchs, as well as information about butterfly migration. There will be kids activities, including a gift for completing an entire “migration”. There will also be the opportunity to speak with butterfly and plant experts, and learn about butterfly metamorphosis. Attendees will also receive free native wildflower seeds and view examples of milkweed and other pollinator-friendly plants.
According to Texas Parks and Wildlife, “Texas is an important state in monarch migration because it is situated between the principal breeding grounds in the north and the overwintering areas in Mexico.”
One central flyway for the Monarchs is a 300-mile wide path stretching from Wichita Falls to Eagle Pass. The butterflies enter Texas in the last days of September and, by early November, are in Mexico.
Guests can also visit the Mariposa Market at the botanic garden. The artisan market features Hispanic items and food. A ballet folkloric performance and several mariachi bands will perform throughout the day.
The Monarch Festival is sponsored by the Fort Worth Monarch Pollinator Ambassadors, the City of Fort Worth, Tarrant Regional Water District, Fort Worth Botanic Garden | Botanical Research Institute of Texas, Tarrant County College, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Wildlife Federation, Texas Parks and Wildlife, Fort Worth Zoo, Native Prairies Association of Texas, and the Native Plant Society of Texas.