PHOTOS: First Annual Butterfly Festival Flutters Through Via Italia

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What started as a local Facebook group, Monarch Butterfly Enthusiasts of Windsor and Essex County, has evolved in to the first Windsor-Essex Butterfly Festival, which took place Sunday afternoon in the Via Italia Heritage Garden. The garden was a perfect backdrop for the festival, as many of the plants and vegetation already are in place to attract the fluttery creatures.

The event featured many booths, both informational and with goods for sale, related to the monarch butterfly and general butterfly enthusiasm. Leo Silvestri, who is one of the individuals who started off the Facebook group, saw the group boom to over 2,800 members and with that he brought this event to the area for all ages to enjoy butterflies and hopefully become enthusiasts too.

The event featured an array of plants for purchase that attract butterflies, and had a multitude of information including from the David Suzuki Butterflyway Project, which some members are also part of.

Some of the enthusiasts had brought butterflies which they have helped to bring life in order to release them with community members who attended later in the afternoon. Monarch Butterflies in all points of their lives were available for viewing, bringing the butterfly lover out of everyone who came by.

Learn more about future events at Leo’s website here.