The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society will present its 10th annual Butterfly Festival on Saturday, September 6, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the UT Arboretum Auditorium and surrounding grounds, 901 S. Illinois Avenue in Oak Ridge. Activities include the UT Insect Zoo, two butterfly tents, educational speakers, children’s activities, local artisans, food trucks and dulcimer music.
Important information on parking this year: Parking will be available in designated areas of the UT Arboretum adjacent to the event, on a first-come, first-served basis. The entrance fee is $5 cash (to facilitate entry) per carload. The gate will be open at 9:30 a.m. The event will take place rain or shine.
Accessible parking is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please have your placard clearly visible when you enter the Arboretum to help our parking staff direct you. A shuttle service will also be available from the regular parking areas for those needing assistance.
Children’s craft activities will be available at a cost of a $1 ticket per activity or $10 for all 10 crafts. Payments can be made with cash or a credit card.
Make a Butterfly Mask is one of the fun children’s crafts at the UTAS Butterfly Festival!
Children of all ages will enjoy experiencing the UT Insect Zoo, a traveling exhibit featuring a diverse collection of insects. The goal of the Insect Zoo is to have fun while sharing knowledge of insects with others, helping them appreciate the important role insects play in our environment. The Insect Zoo highlights preserved and live insects and arachnids (scorpions, tarantulas, etc.) found in Tennessee and throughout the world. Two butterfly viewing tents, staffed by graduate students at the University of Tennessee Entomology and Plant Pathology department, will be open for a closer look at butterflies.
Explore insects from all over the world at the UT Insect Zoo
Educational presentations will take place inside the air-conditioned Auditorium. Stephen Lyn Bales will speak at 10 a.m. on “Meet Our Baby Butterflies.” Lucas Coe-Starr will speak at 11 a.m. on “Fall Bird Migration in East Tennessee.”
A free pollinator plant will be provided by a local native plant nursery, Tennessee Naturescapes, for each family as long as the supply lasts. Additional pollinator plants will be available for purchase.
Food trucks include Big Bad Taco, Pelican’s SnoBalls, Rocky Top Hot Dogs, and Bud’s Farmhouse Coffee. For your entertainment, sit a spell and enjoy the beautiful music of the Knoxville Area Dulcimer Club.
The festival will feature several local artisans, all offering merchandise with pollinator-themed designs. The Anderson County Master Gardeners will also have a booth staffed with volunteers who can answer your gardening questions.
Thanks to all our sponsors at all levels! Our Migrating Monarch level sponsors include: Premier Building Maintenance, Rogers Group Inc. and Tennessee Naturescapes LLC. Our Monarch level sponsors include Stephen Lyn Bales, Bud’s Farmhouse Coffee, Janet & Tim Bigelow and Bob & Janet Cushman.
The UT Arboretum will be closed to regular visitors for parking on the day of the Butterfly Festival, Saturday, September 6, until 3 p.m. The regular parking lot is closed, and all parking areas will be dedicated to the Butterfly Festival, requiring a $5 entrance fee/car. This change is being implemented for the safety of Butterfly Festival visitors and staff.
For more information on the Butterfly Festival, contact Michelle Campanis, mcampani@utk.edu
Co-sponsored by the UT Forest Resources Research and Education Center, this educational event is designed for children and adults of all ages. To learn more about the Arboretum Society, go to the website here.
Melanie Staten is a public relations consultant with her husband, Vince.
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