San Antonio's monarch butterfly festival will take flight in October

The annual Monarch Butterfly and Pollinator Festival will take flight next month.

Why it matters: San Antonio is on the monarch's migratory path to and from Mexico in the spring and fall.

• Events like the festival highlight the critical role local landscapes play in the journey of the monarch. It's essential for San Antonio gardens to have milkweed and nectar.
• In the trip north during the spring, the monarchs need milkweed to lay their eggs. As the butterflies return in the fall, they need nectar plants for sustenance on their way to Mexico.

What's happening: The eighth installment of the festival will take place from 9am to 1pm Oct. 7, during the peak of the monarch migration. It will be hosted at the Pecan Grove at Brackenridge Park (near the zoo entrance).

• The free event will include monarch tagging, an obstacle course, a pollinator procession and a Dia de Los Muertos altar.
• Organizers expect 3,500 attendees.

💭 Madalyn's thought bubble: I really enjoyed this April PechaKucha presentation by Ashley Bird, who is producing the festival. It was the perfect explanation of monarch migration.