Mollie Spencer Farm in Yukon will host its free Monarch Festival on Saturday, Sept. 26, timed to the peak of the fall butterfly migration through central Oklahoma.
The event runs from 9 a.m. to noon at the 33-acre nonprofit farm, located at 1001 Garth Brooks Blvd. Activities include butterfly-themed crafts, self-guided farm tours and a seed-ball making station where visitors can mix wildflower seeds to take home.
Admission is free.
"The Monarch Festival has become a signature way for families to experience that migration together and celebrate the season," Emma Newberry-Davis, programs manager at Mollie Spencer Farm, told the Journal Record.
Master Gardeners Peggy Turner and Patti Ingram will present on the monarch life cycle and planting pollinator gardens. Interactive learning booths staffed by local experts will cover ways residents can support pollinators through backyard gardening.
The festival falls during what Monarch Watch identifies as the peak migration window for the Southern Plains, which runs from late September into early October, according to the Farmers' Almanac. The latest survey of eastern monarchs overwintering in Mexico found the butterflies occupied 7.24 acres of forest during the 2025-2026 winter, up 64% from 4.42 acres the previous year. Researchers caution that monarch populations can fluctuate dramatically from year to year.
The farm property dates to 1894, when Mollie Spencer purchased the 33-acre tract. Her husband, L.M. Spencer, and brother-in-law, A.N. Spencer, founded the town of Yukon in 1891, according to the farm's history page. The Kirkpatrick Family Fund, which operates the farm, is the largest affiliated fund in the Oklahoma City Community Foundation.
Public access to the farm is limited to scheduled events. Registration and details are available on the farm's website.
Upcoming community events
- Saturday, Sept. 26: Monarch Festival, Mollie Spencer Farm, 1001 Garth Brooks Blvd., Yukon. 9 a.m. to noon. Free. Register at molliespencerfarm.org.
