Peterborough will be all aflutter on Saturday (September 20) when the third annual Monarch Festival returns to Millennium Park from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., coinciding with a fundraising race and a kids’ fun run.
Hosted by the Monarch Ultra, an organization dedicated to raising awareness about the monarch butterfly, the celebration of community and environmental activism invites the public to learn about the threatened pollinator species while enjoying performances, presentations, and vendors.
Monarch Ultra co-founder Carlotta James told kawarthaNOW the event is intended to be more than just a celebration, but to inspire “a deep sense of connection within our community.”
“I hope people walk away not only with a greater appreciation for the monarch butterfly but also with a renewed commitment to protecting it,” James said.
“This species faces real threats, and its survival depends on collective action. If the festival can spark even a few lasting conversations or motivate someone to plant milkweed or reduce pesticide use, it will be a powerful step forward.”
At its heart, the Monarch Festival is a celebration of nature’s beauty and the interconnectedness of all living things, James said. Organizations and environmental groups will be out “in full force,” educating attendees on how they can support monarch butterfly populations and other pollinators.
From planting native milkweed to protecting pollinator habitats, attendees will learn about actionable ways to protect these endangered species.
Myer’s Landscaping and For Nature Gardening & Landcare will lead a pollinator garden workshop, and local butterfly enthusiast Eileen Kimmett will host a monarch tagging workshop.
Participants can also receive free milkweed seeds to support monarch conservation.
Along with the workshops, the festival also features Indigenous hand drumming, Zumba dancing, face painting, a scavenger hunt for children, a silent auction, environmental presentations, and more than 20 vendors who will showcase sustainability and biodiversity initiatives.
The festival begins at 10 a.m. with a welcome and introduction by James, and fellow Monarch Ultra co-founder Rodney Fuentes — the filmmaker behind The Monarch Ultra, a documentary about the eponymous 4,300-kilometre relay run from Peterborough to Mexico in 2019 that started it all — will be the emcee.
In addition, the event includes an art competition for high school students to showcase the beauty of monarch butterflies while encouraging creativity and awareness for youth. The winner of the competition will receive a tote bag with art supplies from the Art Gallery of Peterborough.
The weekend also includes a 10-kilometre fundraising race and a one-kilometre kids’ fun run along the Rotary Trail and the Otonabee River, with a 9:30 a.m. start time for the kids’ fun run and a 10 a.m. start time for the 10-kilometre race. While registration for the race and run are closed, those who wish to cheer on the runners for the 10-kilometre race can see the route at www.plotaroute.com/route/2556557.
The race is raising funds for Camp Kawartha, a non-profit organization dedicated to inspiring environmental stewardship and fostering meaningful connections with nature. The funds raised will go directly to purchasing native plants for building pollinator gardens at various schools in Peterborough and Curve Lake.
For more information about Monarch Ultra and the Monarch Festival, visit www.themonarchultra.com.
