Winged visitors

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Monarch butterflies have made McCrory Gardens their home lately, enjoying the flowers like these button liatris shown above and others. Butterflies will be featured in McCrory’s Insect Festival set from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 9. Admission is free and it is family-friendly, said Lisa Marotz, director of operations at McCrory.

Several activities are planned, including monarch tagging, edible insects, catch-and-release insect activity, education, crafts and games. Activities are sponsored in part by 3Mgives Eco Grant. For a full schedule of events, call 605-688-6707 or visit McCroryGardens.com online.

Anyone can come see the monarch butterflies and all the insects that are in abundance at the gardens right now, Marotz said.

“All day long, all evening, too,” is a good time, she said.

Last year was the first year the butterflies had been back to McCrory in a while, she said, but they stayed through September last year.