Before the butterflies in north central Florida take wing, one local butterfly farm is inviting the public to celebrate the colorful creatures.
The first annual Florida Monarch Festival will be Sept. 24 at Greathouse Butterfly Farm on State Road 26 in Earleton, Fla.
The festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and is free and open to the public. Parking will be by donation, said Ed Sherwood, the festival organizer.
The owner of Greathouse Butterfly Farm, Zane Greathouse, created the festival to bring attention to the steps that need to be taken to protect the monarch butterfly. The monarch population has diminished in the last 50 years, Sherwood said.
The monarch butterfly is known for its annual migration to high-altitude forests in Mexico each winter. The forest ecosystems need to be preserved for the butterflies to continue to migrate there.
The festival will feature local vendors, arts and crafts, face painting, bungee jumping, pony rides, butterfly plant sales, local food and live acoustic music.
There will also be a two-hour educational program with monarch experts to educate the public on the butterfly.
"The festival's goal is to educate while having fun," Sherwood said.
Although the Butterfly Rainforest at the Florida Museum of Natural History has its own ButterflyFest in October, workers there think any festival that informs people about butterflies is a good thing.
"The more information we can provide about [pollinators] like butterflies and moths, the better," said Paul Ramey, the assistant director for marketing and public relations at the museum.
