Tips for hosting a successful themed festival
By MaryLynn Pulscher
The instantly recognizable orange and black butterfly is the star and focus of the Minneapolis Monarch Festival ~ Festival de la Monarca. Co-produced by the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board (MPRB) and the Nokomis East Neighborhood Association (NENA), this free, bilingual, bi-cultural event celebrates the monarch butterfly and its annual 2,300-mile migration from Minnesota to Mexico. Each September, upwards of 10,000 fans flock to this joyous event to revel in the iconic insect through music, dance, compelling education, hands-on art making, and interactive exhibits.
Under the guidance of festival partner Monarch Joint Venture, participants learn about the monarchs’ life cycle and migration route, and tag and release butterflies throughout the event. Nature-based exhibitors share information about monarch habitat and other important insects, such as dragonflies and native bees. Some vendors sell native plants, such as milkweed (Asclepias spp), bee balm (monarda), and blazing stars (liatris) that attract monarchs, and teens from the Mississippi River Green Team facilitate the creation of native seed bombs.
Professional artists lead a wide range of art activities, enabling attendees to try their hand at printmaking, writing a poem, making paper embedded with native prairie seeds, painting giant monarch caterpillars, and working together on pinatas. Throughout the day, the main stage features dance and musical performances, and a dance floor invites all to join in.
The success of this festival, as well as your own, can be attributed to the following:
Taking a leap of faith. Prior to the first festival in 2009, MPRB Environmental Education staff members had never worked with NENA, but when asked to partner on the Festival, they said yes. Others that said yes include Monarch Joint Venture (formerly Monarchs in the Classroom), Nokomis Naturescape volunteers, and the Consulate of Mexico in Saint Paul. Not a single entity that was asked to help said no. Taking a leap of faith to reach out to potential partners creates a vibrant festival with a strong sense of community.