Bid the monarchs bon voyage and enjoy monarch educational activities, hayrides, music and more! The Minnesota Monarch Migration Fair is a one-day community celebration to honor the monarch and its amazing fall migration…and it’s just a darn good excuse for the whole family to spend a summer afternoon together outdoors.
The Minnesota Monarch Migration Fair is MJV’s signature annual event (formerly called Blazing Stars and Soaring Monarchs) and presented in partnership with Minnesota Native Landscapes (MNL). MNL is a full-service ecological restoration company, and hosts the fair at its native plant farm in Foley. What makes this location the perfect place for a monarch fair? Check out this video for a BIG hint:
Liatris ligulistylis (a.k.a. meadow blazing star) is a gorgeous native flower and a monarch favorite because it provides plentiful late-season nectar. In August, Minnesota monarchs will be fueling up for the long journey south to overwintering groves in central Mexico. Drawn to MNL’s fields of liatris, monarchs congregate among the lavender-pink blooms, creating a rare opportunity to see and walk among hundreds of butterflies. While we can’t guarantee how many monarchs will be at the fair, the day’s other activities promise fun and enrichment for all.
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Guests can participate in monarch- and pollinator-focused educational demonstrations, hands-on activities and crafts for the whole family, farm tours and introductions to gardening for pollinators. Getting ready for fall planting? MNL will provide high-quality native plants for sale. Bring your camera and roam among the liatris. Chat with kindred monarch enthusiasts including MJV staff, who can answer your pollinator questions and share monarch conservation news. Enjoy live music and food. Want a different perspective? Jump on a hayride and enjoy the farm landscape. To get you excited for the event, here's a video MNL made after last year's fair:
We are delighted to connect with you in person after such a long time of virtual events. See you on the farm!
Volunteer at the fair: Help us make the day amazing as a volunteer for activities, registration and more. Interested? Contact Drake at dlawrence@monarchjointventure.org.
