Annual NH Monarch Festival

About the Event

The news about Monarch Butterflies this year continues to be extremely discouraging--but the 12th Annual NH Monarch Festival will provide hands-on tools and expert advice on how families can sustain and improve habitat for migrating Monarchs and other vital pollinators, all while giving kids fun ways to celebrate and learn about these amazing creatures.

In spite of more 25 years of efforts across the U.S. by citizen scientists and communities to provide more milkweed habitat for their annual migration, the monarch butterfly population is not "out of the woods" yet. The bad news is that the total forest area occupied by Monarchs overwintering in Mexico decreased by 59% from last year, to the second lowest level ever recorded. For perspective, 3 times the entire 2024 starting population could fit within Petals in the Pines' 7.5 acres--with room to spare. The NH Monarch Festival, held annually at Petals in the Pines in Canterbury since 2013, focuses on increasing public awareness of the Monarch’s plight, and ways to help them.

Each session will begin with presentations to all guests:

All About Monarchs - Learn about the Monarch life-cycle, migration, and tagging. We'll have tagging demonstrations featuring newly-emerged butterflies (IF we have any) in our monarch rearing tent.

Monarch Migration Lesson - for kids (audience participation, on our "Gathering Rock")

Amira Kel Provost - Citizen Scientist - This is her 5th season of rearing Monarchs, collecting data on them, and educating others on the importance of milkweed ecosystems, pollinator habitats, and the Monarch lifecycle. She will show
Monarchs in various stages of development, give demonstrations on how to test and tag butterflies, and provide important information about Monarch research.

Milkweed - how to grow it and other plants the monarchs need.

Story Time - kids gathering to hear readings of butterfly-themed books. See more details below.

Every family will receive a gift bag with milkweed seeds and planting instructions, coupons to Tanglewood Hollow, Monarch book author contacts, pollinator seeds, info on where to buy native plants, and much more! You'll have the tools and resources you need to help the monarchs and pollinators.

Options for "free time":

Pollinator Meadow - Explore at your own pace, or take a guided tour along the paths to observe pollinators at work and find native milkweeds and fall nectar plants growing here. See how native trees, shrubs, flowers and grasses can do vital work of feeding pollinators, managing water, and sequestering carbon--and look beautiful at the same time. Petals in the Pines is one of 365 locations (up from 122 a year ago) in NH that are part of the Homegrown National Park project--a grassroots movement started by professor and author Doug Tallamy to regenerate natural diversity (homegrownnationalpark.org)

Monarch Festival Photo Booth - Wear your wings, or borrow ours. Lots of props and signs to use in front of our giant inflatable monarch.

Games for kids - the Metamorphosis Relay and Migration Frisbee Game. Adults can play too!!

"Tale Trail" - Read the pages of "Fly, Butterfly".  Look for monarchs and all the other pollinators along the way!!

"Ask A Master Gardener" Booth - Bring your gardening questions or check out all the information about gardening and planting for pollinators.

Pick-Your-Own Flowers - Over 100 varieties of annual and perennial flowers grow in our PYO field. Design your own take-home arrangement (priced by size of bouquet--vases are free!)

Our Farm Stand Porch Shop - "Monarch wing" pattern Leaf Stone Bird Baths, botanical hand-dyed Silk Scarves, and products from Hazel Moon Botanicals, and John Polizzi's gorgeous photo cards.

Take a Hike - Walk our two brookside labyrinths, stroll through the gardens, or  hike 2 miles of woodland trails.

Monarch Festival format:

For the first 10 years, the Festival was held for 7 hours on a single day, and crowds of visitors had to jockey for parking spaces (often lining Baptist Road with cars for quite a distance!) Last year we decided to change to a spread-out schedule, with 2-hour visit slots (pre-registration required) over two weekends. This provided a more focused experience, with ample parking, new activities (including learning about the plight of all pollinators--not just butterflies), and opportunity to enjoy "free time" exploring all that Petals in the Pines has to offer. It was a great success!

Important Notes For Visitors:

Trail hiking is best in closed-toed shoes (roots/rocks; may be slippery)
Kids (and adults) who wish to wear butterfly wings/costumes are encouraged to do so!
No pets, please!
The Festival will be held Rain Or Shine. In the event of downpours or thunderstorms during your time slot, that session will be cancelled, and your money will be refunded. A cancellation decision and email notification will be made 2 hours prior to start time.

Cost:

Adults $7; Kids $3.50; infants (non-walkers) free.
Kids must be accompanied by an adult
Neither physical nor e-tickets will be issued (but you will receive a confirmation). Please sign-in with Donna or Jim upon arrival.

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