We Have the Best Butterflying in America!

But will we have the best butterfly festival this year? 

USA Today calls Mission, Texas, “the butterfly capital of the USA,” with good reason; and the annual Texas Butterfly Festival gives us the chance to prove it to the world. But this year, the world is grappling with a pandemic that requires all of us to make changes in the way we do things. 

To Festival or Not?

Normally, online registration for this very special event would open May 1, but 2020 is proving to be anything but normal. As we wonder what this fall may hold, we also wonder how the festival may be re-imagined to incorporate social distancing and other public safety measures, while still showing people the beauty and bounty of butterflies in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. 

Those who have attended the festival in the past understand what a tremendous value it is! In the past, included in your registration fee for the 3-day event has been van transportation to all sites, professional guides and drivers, workshops, speakers, admission fees to all tour destinations, a goody bag, social times with the magical margarita machine, three lunches and delicious dinners. So it has been. 

Moving forward, we envision something very different; something where registrants will have to drive themselves and banquet dinners will need to be re-thought, and may not be possible. Masks may be required attire.

Our normal, full registration would provide details of tour sites and let you choose excursions and favorite guides. However, at the moment, we are not yet certain all the tour sites will be open and which tour guides will be able to participate this November.

So, instead of launching full registration, we have decided to open the festival registration, now, for a $25 deposit only as a means of gauging how serious people are about wanting to come. We know the economy, travel options and other issues may prevent people from participating as we progress through the summer and into the fall...for this reason, we will make full refunds for anyone who cannot come or in the event we have to cancel. 

We understand this is highly unusual. Those who have attended in the past know how special the festival is; how it feels like a happy family reunion; how delightful the company, the field trips, the food and the finds can be!  This is why we hesitate to abandon this event--one that advances our mission to increase understanding and appreciation of wild, free-flying butterflies in such a fabulous way, during the peak of butterfly season. This is why we are willing to completely redesign the festival to accommodate a new normal we hope will not last for long. 

The DEPOSIT PORTAL will remain open thru June 30.  The volume of pre-registrations we receive from May 1 – June 30 will factor heavily into whether we launch a full festival site on August 1. 

THANK YOU for helping us with this important decision.

The Remarkable Rio Grande Valley: 

Renowned for a volume and variety of wild, free-flying butterflies that cannot be found anywhere else in the country, deep south Texas is home to the country's premier butterfly event, featuring:

• Field Trips & Educational Activities for Beginners – Experts
• Private Gardens and Guided 'Hot Spot' Tours
• The North American Butterfly Photo Contest.
• And FREE Community Day fun for the whole family!

The National Butterfly Center is honored to host the 25th Annual Texas Butterfly Festival, and provide attendees a remarkable and rewarding outdoor experience. Registrants will spend 3 days exploring renowned public lands and private properties with world-class trip leaders, when you may reasonably expect to see more than 60 species in a day.

Last year, attendees from 24 states and 3 countries registered to experience one of the most biologically-diverse areas in North America, with the assistance of expert guides. Come see for yourself why the Rio Grande Valley has earned worldwide recognition for its outstanding butterfly and birding spots, inviting thousands of visitors each year to discover its remarkable assortment of preserves, refuges, nature parks, trails, and more.

Whether you are an accomplished naturalist or a beginner enthusiast, the Texas Butterfly Festival is the place to be! Here, many eyes make for exciting discoveries, including U.S. records, super rarities, subtropical strays, seldom-seen species, 'life' and chase butterflies that may only be found in the Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV), where the river winds its way toward the Laguna Madre at the Gulf of Mexico. This unique region encompasses no fewer than 11 different types of habitat, from tidal wetlands to riparian forest, brushland scrub to prairie savanna, and is home to more than 1,200 different species of plants, 500 species of birds, 200 vertebrate species, roughly 300 species of butterflies, and over 90 species of dragonflies!

To learn more about the one and only Texas Butterfly Festival, where to stay, what to do, and how to participate, simply explore this site!