Monarch Butterfly Day

Monarch Butterfly Day

October 11, 2025

Join us at The North Carolina Arboretum on October 11th for a day dedicated to the Monarch Butterfly!

Each October the last of the year’s monarchs pass through Western North Carolina during their winter migration to Mexico, so what better time to celebrate!? From 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., you can enjoy a variety of activities, including:

A live monarch tagging and release demonstration, crafts and educational exhibitors, a monarch-focused story walk, and special educational presentation by naturalist Dan Lazaar. For more information, see the information below!

• Kids Craft Station

• A Storywalk through the woods
  • This self-led stroll takes participants on their own adventure as they walk along and learn about the amazing migration of the monarch butterfly. The trail begins at the Playing Woods and ends at the Forest Meadow.

• A Monarch-themed Guided Hike:
  • Join Arboretum staff on a guided walk at 1:00 p.m. through gardens, fields  and woods. We will explore pollinator habitats and the unique needs of monarchs and other butterfly species. The hike includes steps and uneven gravel and wood-chipped surfaces and covers about 0.5 miles and is fairly level.

• Monarch Tagging and Release:
  • Join us and wish wild monarch butterflies bon voyage as they begin their epic journey to Mexico. Arboretum staff will demonstrate how to tag monarchs, share how we raised these monarchs in an enclosure, and wish them well upon release- with hopes that scientists in Mexico will discover these tagged butterflies! The number of monarchs to release will depend upon the number that have fully metamorphosed and are ready to fly and a large number cannot be guaranteed. Join us in the Outdoor Events Garden (amphitheater) at 2:00 p.m. to witness the magic!

• Educational exhibitors such as: 
  • Milkweed Meadows Farm
  • Bee City USA
  • Asheville Museum of Science

• Free Adult Education program: 

• • Migrating Monarchs with Blue Ridge Naturalist Instructor Dan Lazar on Saturday, October 11th, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. in the Combined Classroom. Lazar will map the movement of the monarch and the compelling story of this remarkable insect. Take this class and enrich your appreciation for a journey that unfolds over miles and generations and learn what you can do in your own landscapes to help the Monarch on its incredible journey for survival. No prior registration required. 

Monarch Butterfly Day is sponsored by Community Partner WithersRavenel.

This event is part of Fall for the Arb! Celebrate fall with a series of events and happenings throughout September and October! The North Carolina Arboretum is excited to welcome this season with nature programs, education, music, art and more!