Festival of Butterflies: Midwest to Mexico
Powell Gardens 1609 NW US Hwy. 50, Kingsville, Missouri 64061
On July 24, 2020, the annual Festival of Butterflies will commence at Powell Gardens, Kansas City’s Botanical Garden. Now in its twenty-third year, the family favorite festival allows visitors to experience the world of our beloved pollinators and features a new focus on the migratory path of the monarch butterfly.
Powell Gardens will keep safety precautions in place to ensure that guests can have a safe and enjoyable experience by limiting the number of individuals in the Gardens at any given time, encouraging advanced registration, and offering outdoor viewing into the butterfly conservatory for the first time. Per the Johnson County, MO face covering mandate, masks will be required in buildings and in areas where social distancing is not possible. A full list of safety precautions is available on the Powell Gardens website.
The festival experience begins with in our glass-walled Martha Jane Phillips Starr Butterfly Conservatory which will be populated with more than a thousand free-flying butterflies and moths and filled with tropical plants that are native to the natural habitats of these exotic pollinators. Visitors can witness metamorphosis from chrysalis to butterfly and cocoon to moth as each newly-winged wonder takes flight for the very first time.
Next, visitors are invited to embark on the outdoor trail that traces the migratory path of the monarch butterfly. The journey begins in the Seed to Plate greenhouse, which will be transformed into a facsimile of the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in Michoacán, Mexico, a World Heritage Site where monarch butterflies spend the winter months, and continue on through stops that feature nectar and host plants from Texas, then Oklahoma and Kansas before culminating at the outdoor habitat where we raise native Missouri butterflies each year.
In addition to these features, the festival will be activated by educational events and activities for the whole family; butterfly-themed treats created by Chef Michael Foust, the Gardens’ new culinary partner; and a rare chance to watch the sun set over the Gardens at a special After Hours event.
Also activating the Gardens during the Festival of Butterflies is Fun & Games: Play in the Gardens. The transformative power of play, combined with the benefits of fresh, midwestern summer air are the focus of our summer exhibition, which features brand new nature-inspired games for all ages including a larger-than-life iSpy game from a silo in the Gardens’ Missouri Barn, a mile-long discovery trail with activities for families, and more.
Festival of Butterflies: Midwest to Mexico Events
Exotic Butterfly Release | Fridays–Sundays, 11 a.m. & 2 p.m.Head to the Martha Jane Phillips Starr Butterfly Conservatory for an up-close view of newly winged butterflies being released for the first time and learn about their life cycle. Sign up early! The conservatory has limited capacity to facilitate social distancing. The release will also be viewable from the Visitor Center Terrace and broadcast on Facebook Live.
Caterpillar Show & Tell | Fridays –Sundays, 11:30 a.m.Join a Powell Gardens butterfly expert to learn about the life cycle of our favorite pollinator and safely handle caterpillars and butterflies.
Guided Monarch Migration Walk | Fridays–Sundays, 1 p.m.Follow the path of the monarch butterfly with Powell Gardens butterfly expert Eric Perrette. Learn about the unique migration of these one-of-a-kind creatures.
After Hours | Friday, July 24, 6 p.m.–SunsetWe invite you to enjoy longer hours during our Festival of Butterflies, listen to music from our, treat yourself to snacks and beverages in the Perennial Lounge, and take in the sunset views in the gardens to celebrate the peak of the summer season.
Play with Plants: Pollinators | Saturday, July 25, 1–4 p.m.Drop in to view and gently handle caterpillars and butterflies in the native butterfly house. Bring the camera for this great photo opportunity!
Rhythm, Blooms, & Butterflies | Saturday, July 25 & Sunday, July 26 Noon–4 p.m.Enjoy the rhythm of live music inspired by the migratory path of the Monarch butterfly. Snacks and libations are available at Refresh or Perennial Lounge to enjoy as you sit, stroll, or dance to the music outside.
Butterfly Brunch Picnic | Saturday, August 1 & Sunday, August 2Reserve a farm-to-blanket picnic meal created by Chef Michael Foust. Spread out and find your perfect picnic spot across Powell Gardens’ 175 acres.
Species Spotlight: Perfect Pollinators | Friday, August 7, 10:30 a.m.Join a Powell Gardens docent on a hunt for Powell Gardens’ perfect pollinators. This family-friendly event features a short stroll through our gardens and Native Butterfly Habitat in search of winged wonders. Families will play a pollinator game and get up close with hungry caterpillars. This experience is suited for families with children aged five to twelve. Come prepared with sunscreen. Space is limited, so please register online in advance.