You can experience the wonders of the Monarch Butterfly on Friday evening, August 25, at Audubon Community Nature Center’s Butterflies and Brews, an “adults only” preview of the next day’s Monarch Butterfly Festival.

The public is invited to the Audubon Community Nature Center for an “adults-only” event celebrating the Monarch Butterfly.

On Friday, Aug. 25, from 6 to 9 p.m., Butterflies and Brews participants can learn about the life cycle and migration of the monarch butterfly while enjoying some great food and brews. The Nature Center gets a full Monarch makeover for the event. The multipurpose room is filled with free-flying Monarch butterflies and flowers, food stations are set up around the center, a central bar is stocked with beer and non-alcoholic beverages, and mini Monarch programs and tagging happen throughout the evening.

The Mazza Winery and 5&20 Spirits and Brewery will also be onsite providing complimentary samples of their wines, beer, and spirits.

To help support monarch butterfly populations, for almost two decades staff members have raised hundreds of Monarchs from eggs found on Audubon’s grounds. Prior to their release into the wild, the butterflies are carefully tagged with tracking numbers to assist with national efforts to track the Monarch migration.

Audubon’s Monarch-themed educational programs have encouraged many others to raise monarchs on their own to help ensure the species’ survival. Proceeds from Butterflies and Brews go directly towards supporting Audubon’s monarch butterfly research and educational programming.

Admission includes two drink tickets and appetizers. Non-alcoholic beverages are also available.

Through Monday, Aug. 21, admission is $30 with reservations made by calling 716-569-2345 or online through Programs and Events at AudubonCNC.org. Walk-ins are welcome, but pre-registration is encouraged as space is limited. Cost is $35 at the door.

On Saturday, August 26, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the entire family can enjoy the Monarch Butterfly Festival.

The Audubon Community Nature Center is located at 1600 Riverside Road, one-quarter mile east of Route 62 between Jamestown and Warren. Visit the nearly 600-acre nature preserve, check in on the live birds of prey, enjoy the native tree arboretum, gardens, picnic area, and natural play space, and hike more than five miles of trails dawn until dusk daily for free.

The three-story Nature Center building houses interactive displays, a collection of live animals including the Hellbender exhibit, winners of the 2022 Nature Photography Contest, and the Blue Heron Gift Shop. Visitors are welcome Mondays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Sundays, 1 to 4:30 p.m. Nature Center members and SNAP/EBT cardholders have free building admission daily. Building admission is also free every Sunday for non-Nature Center members.