February 3, 2021 - The Mariposas Butterfly Festival Committee presented their proposals for the next Butterfly Festival to the Mariposa County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, February 2, 2021. Bill Lowe, President of the committee and the Creative Director, Kimberly Vaughan, announced the Mariposa Butterfly Festival will take place on Independence Day Weekend, beginning with a grand patriotic Parade in Downtown Mariposa on the morning of Saturday, July 3rd, 2021. Scheduled for the parade will be the return of the popular Team Fastrax Skydivers “soring the skies above our town with a giant American flag and landing on the parade route followed by a cattle drive through downtown.” The parade commences at 9:15 A.M.
“Because of the expected crowds and input from our surveys,” says Kimberly Vaughan, “we are expanding the festival to include the Mariposa County Fairgrounds. This gives us an abundance of parking and space to truly make this a community event.” The festival begins Saturday following the parade at 12:00 noon and continues till 8:00 P.M. Sunday hours are from 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M.
As the guests enter through the re-imagined main entrance of the fairgrounds (pictured above), to the left will be a car show featuring many of the vehicles that participated in the festival parade. The gazebo will feature the butterfly release where “guests have the opportunity to hold and get to know their very own butterfly on an orange wedge.”
Towards the rear by the California Mining Museum, behind Building B will be The Corn Hole competition sponsored by the Lions Club.
Inside building B, will be all kinds of attractions including an imaginative photo booth, a “Virtual Zone” where one can travel into the virtual world of the butterfly. There will be an art gallery featuring works of local artists. The movie “Mariposa Experience” will be played on its original 3 panel process and “Ranchers and Packers “will play on a 16-foot video wall. Another attraction allows guests, thru the miracle of film, to fly on a butterfly all around the world. Like “Harry Potter.”
Building A and throughout the campus will feature the annual artisan fair with over 90 vendors showing off their wares.
Next door to Building B will be the new reimagined Beer Gardens for Adult Refreshments.
The Amigo Stage will be headlining all sorts of local entertainment. For the evening, “We are working on a special act that will keep people dancing all evening long.” says Vaughan.
The all new Habitat Row will feature Rangers from Yosemite, and the National Wildlife Federation entertaining and educating our guests the importance insects play in our environment. The Mariposa Trails organization is planning an educational path throughout the fairgrounds for young and old to follow for fun and education.
The kid zone will include bounce houses, pony rides and more.
The skydivers will return on Saturday Afternoon and on Sunday.
“Many organizations and companies have signed up to be a part of this festival. We are looking for more volunteers to make the Mariposa Butterfly Festival truly a community event.” Says Bill Lowe. The Festival committee is planning on spending over $6,000 in radio and television advertising to bring guests to the festival. “ABC30 is working with us to promote the Festival. We will have bus transportation to and from the Fairgrounds and Downtown during the event to help alleviate the traffic.”
Admission to the festival will be free.
Visit the Mariposa Butterfly Festival page on Facebook.
Source: Mariposas Butterfly Festival Committee
