Back to web site

9th Annual Desert Museum Butterfly Festival & Plant Sale!

Cloudless Sulfur butterfly enjoys a pink blossom Butterfly Greeting at the Museum Entrance

September 26 & 27, 2009

Delight in the Beauty of Butterflies at the Desert Museum Butterfly Festival and Plant Sale

Come check out the Butterfly Festival! There are a lot of fun activities for the entire family. Spend the day at the Museum learning about these 'jewels of the air'. There will be live butterflies and caterpillars, a plant sale, children's activities and gardening classes happening throughout the day.

Download our Monsoon butterfly Checklist (PDF)

The Brandi Fenton Memorial Coloring Contest

Small image of coloring butterfly
Print out and color this picture of a Queen butterfly for FREE child's admission to the museum on Sept 26th or 27th, 2009! (Ages 6-12)

Events

SPARKS Event

Read about SPARKS Across America.

Check back for details!

August 15 - October 25, 2009

Buckeye Butterfly
© Lisa McLaughlin
Eye to Eye with a Butterfly: The Watercolors of Lisa McLaughlin
Artist reception: September 26, 2009 from 2 to 4 p.m.
The butterflies in this exhibit will stay still and give you an opportunity to study them up close. These larger-than-life watercolor portraits display a dazzling variety of surreal colors and amazing patterns that characterize these flighty jewels of the desert.

Tuesdays, Thursdays & Fridays, August-October

Picture of girl as catepillar Butterfly Walks
Time: 10:00 a.m.
Location: Meet on the Entrance Patio

Plant Sale Saturday & Sunday

On the Front Patio from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Many butterfly-attracting plants available for the first time (some in limited quantities only). Check out the plant list here.

Saturday, September 26

Butterfly Plant Sale
Time: 7:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Location: Front Patio
Butterfly Crafts
Time: 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Location: Front Patio and Baldwin Education Building
Picture of Face Painting Face Painting
Time: 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Location: Entrance Patio
Butterfly Antennae
Time: 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Location: Front Patio

Handouts and Displays

The following organizations will also be represented during the festival - make sure to drop by and see what they have to say!

Logo - Tohono Chul
Tohono Chul Park

Logo - Tucson Botanical Garden
Tucson Botanical Garden

Logo - SEABA
SEABA Chapter of the National Butterfly Association - South East Arizona

Live caterpillars & chrysalids
Time: 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Location: Baldwin Education Building
Picture of boy wearing butterfly wings Microscopes
Time: 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Location: Baldwin Education Building
Monarch butterfly alights on a pink blossom
Running Wild
Time: 11:00 a.m.
Location: Warden Oasis Theater
Live and (sort of) on the Loose
Time: 12:15 p.m.
Location: Warden Oasis Theater
Picture of Microscope Use Butterfly Gardening Class
Time: 1:30 p.m.
Location: Administration Patio

Sunday, September 27

Butterfly Plant Sale
Time: 7:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Location: Front Patio
Butterfly Crafts
Time: 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Location: Front Patio and Baldwin Education Building
Face Painting
Time: 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Location: Entrance Patio
Butterfly Antennae
Time: 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Location: Front Patio
Live caterpillars & chrysalids
Time: 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Location: Baldwin Education Building
Microscopes
Time: 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Location: Baldwin Education Building
Running Wild
Time: 11:00 a.m.
Location: Warden Oasis Theater
Live and (sort of) on the Loose
Time: 12:15 p.m.
Location: Warden Oasis Theater
Butterfly Gardening Class
Time: 1:30 p.m.
Location: Administration Patio