Bailey Butterfly Fest & Native Plant Sale
Saturday, March 28, 2026
4020 Lost Oasis Hollow, Austin, TX 78739
11:00AM - 2:00PM (plants sold until 5:00PM)
Bailey Middle School's Butterfly Fest & Native Plant Sale is a fundraiser for the school's Native Plants & Animals program, which teaches students how to identify, grow, and preserve native ecosystems. The festival is also an opportunity for our community to celebrate Texas' unique flora and fauna through free games, activities, and education stations.
Why Attend?
Education Stations
Bees & Butterflies
Come learn about native Texas bugs and pollinators with ACC's Biology Chair and participate in live butterfly releases by the Bailey NPA program!
Snakes of Texas
Come face-to-face with native Texas snakes and learn how to identify venomous and non-venomous snakes with Snakes of Hayes County.
Free Mushroom Blocks
Central Texas Mycology will be giving away free mushroom blocks and educating visitors on how to grow mushrooms at home.
Composting Creatures
The Travis County Master Gardeners Association will show you the benefits of composting and all the amazing bugs that help contribute to making healthy soil.
Backyard Birding
Learn how to attract and identify birds in your own backyard — and how they also help propagate native plants — with Wild Birds Unlimited.
Save Our Springs
Learn about the Edwards Aquifer and our local water systems with the Save Our Springs through a hands-on activity.
Wildlife Rescue
Austin Wildlife Rescue will provide information about what to do when you find and injured animal. Also come say hello to Tortellini the Texas Tortoise!
Native Landscaping 101
Learn about native landscape design, get help selecting the right plants for your garden, and get free native plant brochures from PollyDog Landscapes.
All About Seeds
Explore a "seed petting zoo" from the Austin Wildland Conservation and take home seeds from the Native Plant Society of Texas.
Activities & Entertainment
Cave Tours
The Texas Cave Management Association will host free tours of the Lost Oasis Cave Preserve, located directly across from Bailey Middle School! (Please wear pants and closed-toe shoes. Visitors will need to climb up/down a 6-foot ladder. Parent waiver required.)
Entertainment
Enjoy live music and performances:
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Monarch Radio 87.9 all day
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Bailey Cheer @ 11am
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Bailey Choir @ 12pm
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Bailey Jazz Band @ 12:45pm
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Butterfly Releases @ 11:30 / 12:30 / 1:30
Games & Crafts
Make a hanging butterfly feeder, a bee hotel, and wildflower planter while learning how you can create a native habitat in your own yard! Also play fun games like axe-throwing, bin ball, duck races, and free play lawn games.
Buy a Bailey Brick
Make a lasting memory at Bailey Middle School! Our PTA will be selling engraved bricks that families can personalize with their students' names and will be installed along the front school walkway. Order online now here.
Critter Corner
Come check out Bailey's campus coop to pet chickens, ducks, and rabbits. You can also talk to Akins High School's Future Farmers of America (FFA) program about how students can start their own animal husbandry career.
Organic Fertilizers
Buy worm castings (aka,"nature's fertilizer") and learn how to start your own worm composting bin with Austin Worm Lab (the official vendor of Bailey's Vermicomposting Project). Student-grown plants also contain chicken coop compost!
Sponsors
A huge thanks goes to our amazing sponsors, who are enabling us to provide our visitors with a ton of fun, FREE games, crafts, and activities! If you would like to promote your business at Butterfly Fest, email baileymsnpa@gmail.com.
Why Buy Native Plants?
Low Maintenance
Native plants require less water and are resistant to pests and diseases.
Support Wildlife
Local insects and animals depend on native plants for food and shelter.
Prevent Erosion
Native plants stabilize soil with their roots, absorb water & slow water runoff.
Improve Soil
Native plants help with nutrient cycling, soil structure & water filtration.
Don't Be Fooled by
the Wrong Milkweed!
Did you know that Monarch butterfly caterpillar ONLY feeds on the milkweed bush? However, not all milkweed is the same! Most nurseries sell a variety called Tropical Milkweed that is native to Central and South America — NOT Texas.
Planting tropical milkweed harms Monarch butterflies:
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Tropical milkweed blooms in the cold weather and confuses Monarchs, making them try to overwinter locally instead of migrating South.
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Tropical milkweed can harbor a spore-driven disease called Ophryocystis Elektroscirrha that kills Monarchs.
The good news is, there are over 30 species of milkweed plants that are native to Texas! One of the most important for monarch butterflies is Antelope Horns because it is a common milkweed plant that grows in pastures and along roadsides throughout the central flyway of Texas, the path that most Monarchs take on their migration through Texas.
Learn More &
Get Involved
Please contact baileymsnpa@gmail.com if you have general questions about Butterfly Fest or if you are interested in volunteering, hosting a table, or promoting your business as an event sponsor.