Walk among locally raised, native butterflies at the Festival of Butterflies “breezeway,” plus get a close encounter with the blue morpho, golden birding and emerald swallowtail at Powell Gardens.
The “dragonfly den” is a new area featuring native Missouri dragonflies. Guests will be able to touch live caterpillars, learn about the life cycle of monarch butterflies and participate in the “pollinator parade.”
The festival of Butterflies runs from August 4 – 20 and includes a series of activities, including:
Butterfly University: Mini Symposium
Saturday, August 5, 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.
This mini-symposium takes guests the scenes of Powell Gardens 21st Festival of Butterflies to connect with landscape design gurus and moth and butterfly experts. Spend the day discovering the many species of local butterflies and their host plants, explore the tropical butterfly exhibit with Powell Gardens staff, learn to design a home butterfly garden and pick up tricks of the trade for raising caterpillars from local caterpillar rancher Eric Perrette of the Occasional Butterfly.
Schedule:
9:45 – 10:30 a.m. Betsy Betros, butterfly identification
10:45 – 11:30 a.m. Lenora Larsen landscaping for butterflies
11:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. Lunch break
1 – 1:45 p.m. Eric Perrette, Caterpillar hunting and rearing
2 -3 p.m. Tropical butterflies and exhibition tour
Family Frolic: Learn About Lepidoptera
Saturday, August 12, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Butterflies, moths and caterpillars are some of the insects that make up the order of Lepidoptera. This family event will provide opportunities to learn more about flying (or crawling) friends, their life cycles and important relationship to plants and people. Several hands-on activities, free with festival admission, include plant an eco-pot with seeds to take home, create a butterfly puppet and butterfly life-cycle journal. Children and adults can make their own butterfly wings to wear ($5 a person) or build an insect hotel to take home ($5 a person). Special performances are scheduled throughout the day. There will be a butterfly parade from 10:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
Photography Day in the Conservatory
Tuesday, August 8, 8 – 10 a.m. and 4 – 6 p.m.
This is the one opportunity of the year to take photographs in the conservatory with tripods and monopods.
Powell Gardens is located at 1609 N.W. U.S. Highway 50, Kingsville, MO. For more information on the festival and event fees, visit Powell Gardens or call 816-697-2600.