News

Mountain Monarch Festival educates and celebrates

By Lightning Reports, Published: September 23, 2025

SAPPHIRE — The third annual Mountain Monarch Festival will take place at Gorges State Park in Sapphire from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4.

The free event, hosted by the park and sponsored by the Friends of Gorges State Park and other partners, celebrates the monarch butterfly during its migration and raises awareness about the species’ declining numbers. The park lies along the monarchs’ migratory route. The butterflies can be seen in early October each year flying over the park, heading south to the high-elevation fir forests in central-southern Mexico’s Volcanic Belt, where they overwinter until early spring.

The festival will offer educational programs and exhibits as well as children’s crafts, face painting by Brevard College cheerleaders, a butterfly hike and a Monarch Migration Passport to guide visitors through the activities. The featured speakers are Heyward Douglas, an entomologist who is a former naturalist and has served on the Foothills Trail Conservancy’s board of directors since 1989, who will talk about visiting the wintering area for the monarchs in Mexico; and Brian Bockhahn, interpretation and education specialist for North Carolina State Parks, who will discuss “Monarch Life Cycle and Tagging.”

The event, activities and programs are free and open to the public. The event will be held rain or shine and is first-come, first-served. For event details, visit https://www.friendofgorges.org