If you and your kids simply love seeing butterflies flutter around Austin, you’re in for a treat this weekend because there are actually two special butterfly-themed events to enjoy! Both take place on Saturday, April 23. Choose from a storytime & craft session at the Austin Central Library or the annual Butterfly Bonanza at the Science Mill in Johnson City. Read on for details…

Monarch Butterfly Stories at Austin Central Library

Do you love seeing the Monarch butterflies stop by Central Texas every year and want to learn more about them? Visit the Austin Central Library location ( 710 W. César Chávez St.) on April 23 from 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. for a drop-in family event featuring crafts, story time, information on maintaining a butterfly garden, and more. Children’s book author Tania DeGregorio will be sharing from her book “Skydancer: Adventures of a Monarch Butterfly.” This is a free event for families with activities geared for kids aged toddler – 12. No registration required.

Butterfly Bonanza at The Science Mill

You can take a little day trip out to Johnson City’s awesome children’s museum for their event on April 23 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Through up-close encounters and hands-on activities, you and the kids can learn why these friendly flyers are crucial to our local ecosystem.

Live Butterfly Release: Welcome the next generation of pollinators to our local ecosystem (Limited spots! Each butterfly is $2.50 and can be purchased at the door.)

This special event runs from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. with the following free activities:

  • Make wildflower seed bombs to start your own pollinator garden
  • Soar with monarchs on an epic journey to Mexico in Flight of the Butterflies 3D
  • Create a colorful mobile to explore the monarch’s life cycle
  • Surround yourself with videos of cute baby bats in our silo pop-up theater
  • Meet special guests who work with pollinators
  • Identify local wildlife like an ecologist, our spotlight STEM Career, with the help of iNaturalist
Pollinator Palooza Learning Lab – 11am-noon and 12:15-1:15pm: How does pollination work and why does it matter? Peek behind the petals as we dissect and magnify flowers to uncover their amazing anatomy. Study each flower’s parts, size, color and smell to develop a theory about what creatures might help spread its pollen. Find out if you picked the right flower-pollinator pair as you learn about botanists, ecologists, and other STEM careers. (For grades 3rd-8th, $5 per student; limited spots available)

Photo courtesy of the Science Mill

In addition to the Butterfly Bonanza experiences that run from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., you can explore the Science Mill’s 50+ hands-on exhibits inside and outdoors until 4 p.m. Admission: 0-2 years old – free, 3-17 (or with student ID) $9.50, Adults (18-64) $11, Seniors (65+) $9 and Military $5.50. Reserve your tickets online where you can also add on special packages for the pollinator party.

Want to plant a butterfly and bee garden at home? Check out this great blog post from the Science Mill for tips: Make Your Yard a Pollinator Pit Stop With Butterfly- and Bee-Friendly Plants