Minneapolis Monarch Festival

From Minneapolis Monarch Festival Website:

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, and the Nokomis East Neighborhood Association, will return in 2013 with the Minneapolis Monarch Festival at the Nokomis Naturescape on September 7.

Last year's Festival featured an exciting stage line up, and we expect an excellent lineup this year. We last year's stage with Tejano 2000 and the Mark Stillman Band ("Border Crossings," or North meets South in dueling bands), The rest of the day included KetzalCoatlicue Aztec Dance Group, Larry Long with special guest, Fiddlin' Pete (American Folk), Javier Trejo and his band (Mexican & American Rock), Pema (Afro/Peruvian), Cyril Paul & the Calypso Monarchs (Calypso, Reggae) and K-Libre 24 (Salsa).

Art Activities included printmaking by steamroller (really!) with ArtOrg and Grupo Soap del Corazon, and creating a collage with Artsy Smartsy, among others.

There were monarch butterflies of course. Several were released to begin their amazing 2,300 mile migration from Minnesota to the mountains of Michoacan Mexico where they spent the winter.

Everything from food, to music and art highlights the Minnesota - Mexico connection that the Monarch butterfly creates.

The Kids Butterfly Fun Runs are popular, with age-bracketed races for children ages 0 - 11. In 2012, the Run was sponsored by Univision TV and U Care.

Food is available from local vendors.

The Festival takes place alongside the Nokomis Naturescape, comprised of a variety of native grass and wildflower gardens which have been certified as a Monarch Waystation. The gardens contain annual and perennial plants that provide habitat and food sources that are essential to the survival of monarch butterflies.

We look forward to seeing many of you back in 2013, and hope that many more of you who haven't yet been to this unique and incredibly fun festival will join us on September 7.