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On the third Saturday in April, guests gather at the EmilyAnn Theatre & Gardens in Wimberley, TX, to witness one of the Hill Country’s most colorful displays: the Wimberley Texas Butterfly Festival. If you’re a nature lover looking for a one-of-a-kind vacation, you’ve got to experience this incredible festival. Here’s everything you’ll need to know about this annual tradition, along with tips on where to stay.
Texas is home to over 400 species of butterflies: iconic monarchs, elegant swallowtails, delicate painted ladies, and countless others. While peak butterfly season occurs in the fall, the spring months play an important role in their ecology and life cycle. Spring is the time when butterflies emerge from dormancy, and when the monarch begins its annual migration.
The Wimberley, Texas Butterfly Festival is a celebration of the state’s rich butterfly population. It’s one of EmilyAnn’s biggest fundraisers and attracts thousands of guests each year. Thousands of butterflies are released during the festival, filling the sky with colorful, softly fluttering wings! Local volunteers, mostly school children, though people of any age can participate, raise butterflies in anticipation of the big day. Visit Wimberley in the weeks leading up to the festival, and you may even spot a business hosting a butterfly cage!
Butterfly hosts receive a cup of caterpillars, which begin forming chrysalises shortly after arrival. It takes about 20 days for these caterpillars to mature into butterflies, and their foster hosts are tasked with making sure their metamorphosis goes off without a hitch. A big part of the process is moisture: butterflies need a moist environment throughout their metamorphosis, so every cage includes a misting bottle.
Once the butterflies emerge from their cocoons, they’re going to be hungry. What do these delicate creatures eat? Good ‘ol Gatorade, of course! It’s the most convenient substitute for the nectar that they eat in the wild, and includes all the carbohydrates and electrolytes they need. EmilyAnn Theatre recommends soaking a cotton ball in grape, orange, or tropical punch-flavored Gatorade, and be careful not to leave a puddle they can drown in. Try not to use blue Gatorade: while it’s safe to eat, butterflies don’t instinctively associate the color blue with food, so you might have trouble feeding them.
The star of the opening ceremonies at the Wimberley Butterfly Festival is the butterflies! The festivities begin with the memorial butterfly release. Afterward, there are additional live butterfly releases every 30 minutes, keeping the air full of color. If you want to see the butterflies in a more controlled environment, the Butterfly Flight House lets you wander an enclosed garden where butterflies can sip from their favorite flowers.
If you’re looking for a souvenir, the Butterfly Festival is bursting with them! You can find butterfly tote bags, butterfly t-shirts, and designs by local artists and artisans. You can also indulge in tasty concessions, like shaved ice, Frito pies, and fresh fruit. Just don’t be surprised if a butterfly flutters by to sneak a bite of your sweet snack!
Like any good festival grounds, EmilyAnn Theatre offers plenty of attractions and interactive activities to keep guests of all ages entertained. One of the most charming offerings is the Butterfly Train. Consisting of three carts towed by a John Deere tractor, kids can catch non-stop rides around the EmilyAnn grounds throughout the day.
Do you like your animal encounters to be a bit larger and fuzzier than just butterflies? Why not pet a mini donkey? Or take a selfie with a festive llama? At the animal meet and greets, you can get up close and personal with these furry friends. It’s a hit with the kids!
Students throughout Texas showcase their creative talent at the festival’s juried art awards. The theme, naturally, is butterflies, both realistic and fantastic. You can find art from students in grades 1 through 12 on display, along with a separate caterpillar category for Kindergarteners. The best submission in the show is featured on the T-shirt designs for the following year!
Want to try your hand at some butterfly art? There are arts and craft stations around the festival grounds. Make some butterfly chalk art, or turn yourself into a canvas at one of the face painting booths!
A family-friendly event like the Wimberley, Texas Butterfly Festival needs family-friendly lodgings. The Cedars Ranch, located near Wimberley, is a glamping resort that offers plenty of family appeal. Kids will love the outdoor games, resort-style pool, and movies under the stars. Adults will also love those things, but the spa deck, nature trails, morning yoga, and private chef might carry additional appeal.
The Cedars Ranch offers a variety of glamping-style amenities, though the most striking are their XL Geodomes. The parents can cozy up by the panoramic window, while the kids will love the queen loft bed. The steamer shower and kitchenettes add an extra layer of comfort.
For a more traditional experience, try the Grand Cabins. They feature two king bedrooms, a loft with two twin beds, a kitchenette, a steamer shower, and indoor and outdoor seating. It’s perfect for groups who need a bit more space than what a loft can provide.
The most glamorous experience, however, is the Eco Yurt. Though it has only one bedroom (additional guests will need to use the queen sleeper sofa), it features a luxurious wraparound deck, a breakfast bar, a stylish three-mirror vanity, and all the amenities found in the other lodgings.
The Texas Hill Country is one of the best vacation destinations in the South, and Nook Outdoors has the best places to stay. Want to stay in a treehouse? How about in a giant wine barrel? Browse our collection today, and find your next vacation idea!
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