interstitialRedirectModalTitle

interstitialRedirectModalMessage

interstitialRedirectModalRedirectCTA
interstitialRedirectModalDismissCTA
Skip to content

Find Events

Monarch Festival

East Chicago, Indiana

Monarch migratory route banner at TNC booth at Monarch Festival in East Chicago.
East Chicago Monarch Festival Join TNC on Saturday, August 29 for the 9th annual Festival de la Monarca! © Jessica Fernandez/TNC
Event Overview

The 9th Annual East Chicago Festival de la Monarca is taking flight again! Join The Nature Conservancy on Saturday, August 29 and help welcome the monarch butterflies as they journey across northwest Indiana on their way to Mexico.

Each fall as temperatures begin to drop in North America, iconic orange-and-black monarch butterflies fill the skies. They travel up to 100 miles daily as they make their way south to the Oyamel fir forests of Mexico, journeying up to 3,000 miles, connecting Canadian, U.S. and Mexican communities, and inspiring us with their endurance.

The festival is FREE and open to all! Come celebrate with other members of the community with educational exhibits, fun activities, music, art, dance and food—as well as TNC's Monarch Experience.

You are invited to this event, led by TNC in Indiana, to deepen your knowledge of the monarch lifecycle.

Volunteer at the Monarch Festival

We are looking for volunteers to help with a variety of tasks: set-up, welcome desks, youth activity table, break down, and more!

Sign up

This event would not be possible without our gracious host, the City of East Chicago and our partners, which include:

  • Audubon Great Lakes
  • The Field Museum
  • Save the Dunes
  • Shirley Heinze Land Trust
  • Wild Ones Chapter at Gibson Woods

We look forward to seeing you and celebrating the beloved monarch butterfly that so enriches our lives!

Vendor and Exhibition Links

We are currently taking applications for:

The Cultural Connection

Learn more about how monarchs bring together conservation and culture between the U.S. and Mexico.

Festival de la Monarca (04:34) The East Chicago Festival de la Monarca engages and uplifts the communities of East Chicago and surrounding areas that culturally identify with the iconic monarch butterfly.