New Monarch Meadow Takes Root in Zilker Park

Austin area families are invited to celebrate Nov. 1 with seed balls, native seeds, flower crowns and a monarch migration conga line.

• What: Zilker 351 Monarch Party - When: Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026, 1 to 4 p.m. - Where: Zilker Metropolitan Park - Getting there: Limited parking is available at the Barking Springs South Parking lot. Families are encouraged to carpool, bike, walk or take public transportation.

AUSTIN, Texas — A new native wildflower meadow is taking root in Zilker Metropolitan Park to help protect Barton Creek while creating habitat for monarch butterflies and other pollinators. To celebrate the new monarch meadow, Zilker 351 is inviting Austin families to join us for a Monarch Party in Zilker Park.

The free Monarch Party, part of the City of Austin's Roots and Wings Festival, takes place on November 1 from 1 to 4 p.m. Families will enjoy hands-on, educational activities including native wildflower seed-ball making, face painting, flower crowns, story time and, of course, a monarch migration conga line/parade.

One highlight will be the Monarch Promise. Kids are invited to take home a free packet of native wildflower seeds and promise to plant them at home, at a grandparent's house, at school or anywhere else they can grow and provide food and habitat for butterflies and other pollinators.

Families will be encouraged to send Zilker 351 a photo or short video of their child planting the seeds, with parental permission, so Zilker 351 can show how a little piece of the monarch meadow is spreading into neighborhoods across Austin.

We want kids to have fun, put their hands in the dirt and discover that they can help take care of the natural world around them. If families leave knowing just a little bit more about why monarch butterflies and native plants matter to our ecosystem, then we've done our job.

— Fleetwood Jacobs, Executive Director of Zilker 351

Zilker 351 is proud to include educational programming from the National Wildlife Federation, the City of Austin Watershed Protection Department and the Native American Cultural Center and the Austin Parks Foundation which will share activities and information celebrating native plants, wildlife and our connection to the natural world.

The new monarch meadow is part of Zilker 351's ongoing work to restore and care for Zilker Park. The native wildflowers will help filter polluted runoff from nearby roads, increase aquifer infiltration and provide food and habitat for monarchs, bees and other pollinators, while also adding another beautiful natural space to the park.

Finally, Zilker 351 thanks the generous sponsors and community partners helping make the Monarch Party possible, including The Environmental Fund for Texas, Kendyl and Laura Bennett.

About Zilker 351

Zilker 351 is a nonprofit organization dedicated to caring for the park's ecological health, telling its inclusive history and ensuring equitable access for all. Working with the City of Austin and community partners, Zilker 351 supports restoration, conservation and improvements that help protect the park for generations to come.