Hudson gears up for 40th annual NC Butterfly Festival
Apr. 24—HUDSON
Saturday, May 4, 2024 will mark the 40th annual North Carolina Butterfly Festival in Hudson. The festival will begin at 9 a.m. and run to 4 p.m. on Central st., featuring booths from new and returning vendors and games and activities of all kinds.
The NC Butterfly Festival, organized and conducted by the Hudson Community Development Association, is the oldest regularly occurring festival in Caldwell County, and possibly the oldest in the state according to organizer Tanya Yearick. Yearick also noted that the popular spring festival draws a sizable crowd — around 10,000 in 2023.
While the festival has always been a setting for lifelong memories shared between friends and family, it also serves as an opportunity for local businesses and organizations to share and build relationships with locals. As with previous years, the Community Development Association will be selling tickets for entry into various games and exhibits alongside festival merchandise at a marked tent. Admission to the festival, however, and enjoyment of live music from talented artists throughout the day, will be free.
There are two novelties to be seen at this year's festival. The first is the live butterfly exhibit hosted by Love the Butterfly. Using tickets, residents can interact with and even feed live butterflies.
The second is a live metal pour hosted by WNC Sculpture, to take place at the Hub Station. Attendees will be able to carve designs into butterfly-themed molds and watch them be poured, taking home the results. The Hub will also show off entries for the "Fluttering Colors" art contest in an exhibit open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
