Colonial Gardens in Phoenixville hosts annual Monarch butterfly release

Colonial Gardens recently held its annual Butterfly Festival to the delight of local families who attended.

Several hundred monarch butterflies were released over the course of the day.

A monarch butterfly lands on a flower after being released at the Butterfly Festival at Colonial Gardens. (Photo by Barry Taglieber - For MediaNews Group)

The event was free to attend for kids and their parents. Visitors could also purchase a butterfly to release during one of four scheduled release times during the festival.

The festival also included local artisans, vendors, and nonprofits; four educational seminars about monarch butterflies; gardens to wander through; native and pollinator-friendly plants for purchase; and hayrides through the Colonial Gardens woods.

During the Butterfly Festival, children could meet some of their favorite storybook characters. Rapunzel (Sam Dobson) poses here with Cosima Fishburn. (Photo by Barry Taglieber – For MediaNews Group)

Hannah Bartfield has her face painted during the annual Butterfly Festival at Colonial Gardens. (Photo by Barry Taglieber – For MediaNews Group)

Juliet and CeCe Stabler are ready for Colonial Gardens’ annual butterfly release. (Barry Taglieber – For MediaNews Group)

Casey Schmidt Ahl explains all about the monarch butterfly during one of the seminars at Colonial Gardens. (Photo by Barry Taglieber – For MediaNews Group)