Monarch Festival 2014 soars!

Kalpulli Ketzal Coatilcue Aztec Dance group in full swing.

Story / Photos By MARGIE O’LOUGHLIN

This year’s Monarch Festival was a record buster, with attendance estimated at about 10,000, according to MaryLynn Pulscher of the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board. The day was perfect with blue skies framing the tagged and released monarchs that began their journey south to Mexico from the shores of Lake Nokomis. Many Festival-goers decided to add monarch-friendly plants to their own yards and gardens. Some purchased milkweed and flowering native plants from The Vagary, Mother Earth Gardens and Cedar Hill Natives, while others created milkweed-seed mud bombs or received milkweed seeds from the Pollination Education Station. In the Heart of the Beast Puppet & Mask Theatre debuted their new puppet show, “The Way of the Monarch,” and also created monarch banners, which were part of two mini-parades led by stilters wearing monarch wings. Dancers of all ages and abilities jammed the dance floor to show off their moves as they listened to Salsa del Sol, and then Chico Chavez and the Guayaba Tropical Band. More than 80 volunteers contributed time, talent, and muscles to make the day a great success.

(All photos by Margie O'Loughlin)