The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society will present its 11th Annual Butterfly Festival on Saturday, August 29, 10 a.m. to 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 viewing tents, educational speakers, children’s activities, local artisans, food trucks and dulcimer music.

Important information on parking: Parking will be in designated areas of the UT Arboretum adjacent to the event and on a first-come, first-served basis. The entrance fee is $5 cash per carload (to facilitate entry). The gate will be open at 9:30 a.m. The event will take place rain or shine. We have Accessible Parking available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please keep your placard clearly visible when you enter the Arboretum to help our parking staff direct you.  A limited shuttle service will also be available from the regular parking areas for those who are not able to access the accessible parking.

Children’s craft activities will be available at a cost of a $1 ticket per activity or $10 for all ten crafts. Payments can be made with cash or credit card.

Children of all ages will enjoy experiencing the UT Insect Zoo, a travelling exhibit of insects found in Tennessee and throughout the world. The goal of the Insect Zoo is to have fun while sharing knowledge of insects with others to help them appreciate the important role of insects in our environment. Two butterfly viewing tents, staffed by graduate students from the University of Tennessee Entomology and Plant Pathology department, will be open for a closer look at painted lady butterflies.

Educational presentations will take place inside the air-conditioned Auditorium. Stephen Lyn Bales will speak at 10:00 a.m. on “We Live in a Wonderland.”  Kris Light will speak at 11:00 a.m. on “The Magnificent Monarch Migration to Mexico.”  

A free pollinator plant will be provided by a local native plant nursery, Tennessee Naturescapes, for each family while supplies last. Additional pollinator plants will be available for purchase.  New this year, Le Fave Forest Farm will be selling saplings that attract pollinators, such as tulip poplar trees that Eastern tiger swallowtails love.

Food trucks include Pelican’s SnoBalls, Rocky Top Hot Dogs, Millborne Bakery, and Calamity’s 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 pollinator-themed merchandise. Dr. Larry Millet will be selling honey produced by bees at the Arboretum and elsewhere in Oak Ridge to fund his honeybee research.  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.; Tennessee Naturescapes, LLC.  Our MONARCH level sponsors include:  Oak Ridge City Council member, Charles Hensley; Tim Bigelow; UT Ag Research.

The UT Arboretum will be closed to regular visitor parking on the day of the Butterfly Festival, Saturday, August 29, until 3 p.m. The regular parking lot is closed, and all parking areas will be dedicated to the Butterfly Festival and will require the $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 at mcampani@utk.edu.

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