Don’t let Butterfly Day flutter away

On the day of the Butterfly Festival, EmilyAnn’s gardens are the center of the universe. Well, make that the center of the butterfly world, as visitors travel from all over just to marvel at this beautiful insect when it is released.

This year’s event is the 21st Annual Butterfly Festival, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 27. Every thirty minutes butterflies are released, just as they had been at the first festival. But the event has grown a little since then. There are a lot more butterflies, EmilyAnn has expanded its grounds and the activities continue all day long.

A butterfly’s lifecycle is made up of four parts, egg, larva (caterpillars), pupa (chrysalis) and adult. Believe it or not, the butterflies are raised for months in the about 235 classrooms and a few businesses around town, and are ready to be released and fly at the end of April.

Around four thousand will be released on their day and when released, then they are drawn to pieces of melon slices that kids of all ages hold in their hands. But there’s a lot more going on for those lulls between releases.

“(The old saying goes) It might take a village but how about celebrating a village? That’s what happens on Butterfly Day,” Ann Rolling, Executive Director of EmilyAnn said.

It starts with the opening ceremony honoring those who have died in the past year, with Jordan McFarland singing the national anthem. Each of the service branches’ flags are raised and are honored.

This year at the end of opening ceremonies, World Tai Chi Day will be celebrated, which is celebrated across the world at local time 10 a.m. Creating peace and harmony in the world by the practice of Tai Chi can benefit both body and mind. Demonstrations will be given.

Besides the releases, other activities include a balloon artist, the flight house, butterfly art, nature activities, bounce houses, a story tent, an art tent with a princess area, a pirate area and much more. Master Naturalists will be on hand to answer all your questions about gardening or nature.

People are asked to park at the Wimberley High School and Danforth parking lots, as shuttles will be providing service to the gardens.

This year’s winner of the T-shirt contest was WHS freshman Briana Cisneros who created the design featured on the 21st Annual Butterfly for 2019. Admission is free but donations are gratefully accepted. Some activities require purchase of a wristband.

For more information on the Butterfly Festival, purchasing wristbands for activities, or any questions please see the EmilyAnn website:

emilyann.org/butterfly. html

For more information on World Tai Chi Day, please se their website at:

Juliebalderrama.com/wtcqd2019