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Roots & Wings Festival 2025
October 25, 2025 @ 9:00 am – 2:00 pm
Join Zilker Botanical Garden in our Roots & Wings Festival Celebration!
The annual Austin Roots & Wings Festival is held from Saturday, October 18th – Sunday, November 2nd, and is a community-wide celebration honoring Arbor Day and Monarch Appreciation Day in Austin.
On Saturday, October 25th, visit the Garden to celebrate trees, pollinators, and our community where you can see a tree that has been to the moon, tag butterflies for scientific research, build homes for local pollinators, and much more. This educational festival kicks off with a 9:00 am Bird Walk, and we will have crafts and activity tables that will be available from 10am – 2pm (while supplies last).
Scheduled Activities
Feathers & Flora: Morning Walk with Travis Audubon
9 – 10:30 AM, meet at Flagpole
Begin your Roots & Wings day with a tranquil guided walk through the garden’s winding paths. Let expert birders from Travis Audubon help you spot native birds and discover the rich plant life that supports them. This peaceful morning stroll is perfect for nature lovers of all ages. Please bring your own binoculars!
TreeFolks + Central TX Seed Savers Tree ID Walk
10 AM – 12 PM, Oak Grove
Buzz in and get building! Create a cozy, nature-friendly insect hotel to give our local pollinators and beneficial bugs a safe place to stay—especially during the colder months. Learn how native bees, ladybugs, and other tiny garden helpers benefit from these simple structures and how you can support them at home. Build a home for bugs with us!
Bug Safari: Tiny Critters, Big Discoveries with Marcia Beckford, The Bug Safari Lady
10 – 11:30 AM, Oak Grove
Grab a bug net and dive into the fascinating world of insects! Bug Safari is an interactive, art-integrated outdoor adventure where kids and families can explore the tiny but mighty creatures that live all around us. From beetles to butterflies, learn how arthropods help our ecosystems and why they deserve a closer look.
Butterfly Tagging with ZBGC and WiSTEM
11 AM – 2 PM, Oak Grove
Join us for a magical, hands-on experience as we tag live monarch butterflies and send them on their incredible migration to Mexico! Learn how scientists and citizen volunteers work together to track these iconic pollinators, and discover how you can contribute to community science and conservation efforts.
Butterfly Release with ZBGC
2 PM, Starts in Oak Grove
Join us for a spectacular moment as we release monarch butterflies into the sky, sending them on their incredible journey to Mexico! This symbolic send-off celebrates the monarch’s epic migration and reminds us of our role in protecting pollinators and their habitats. Witness the beauty and celebrate the science!
Tree Climbing with City of Austin’s Urban Forestry Team
10 AM – 2 PM, Oak Grove
Join Austin Parks and Recreation Department’s Urban Forestry team for a fun and educational Kids Climb event! Kids are invited to experience the thrill of tree climbing under the guidance of trained professionals. Come connect with nature, learn about Austin’s urban forest, and have a tree-mendous time!
Activity + Education Tables to Visit
Mark the Moment: Pollinator Bookmark Craft
10 AM – 2 PM, Oak Grove
Join Violet Crown Garden Club and get crafty with nature! Design your own beautiful pollinator-themed bookmarks using ink stamping and natural inspiration. While you create, learn about the essential role of pollinators in our gardens and how you can support them right at home. You’ll take home a beautiful bookmark you created with your own hands!
Throw & Grow: Native Seed Ball Workshop
10 AM – 2 PM, Oak Grove
Get your hands dirty and help Central Texas bloom with the Tejas Garden Stars! In this fun, family-friendly activity, you’ll create seed balls — little clay orbs packed with native wildflower seeds. Take them home and toss them in your yard to grow a wildlife-friendly habitat that supports bees, butterflies, and birds. Make a mess. Make a meadow.
Home Sweet Bug: Build a Pollinator Hotel with ZBGC
10 AM – 2 PM, Oak Grove
Buzz in and get building! Create a cozy, nature-friendly insect hotel to give our local pollinators and beneficial bugs a safe place to stay—especially during the colder months. Learn how native bees, ladybugs, and other tiny garden helpers benefit from these simple structures and how you can support them at home. Build a home for bugs with us!
Arborama! Tree Bingo Adventure
10 AM – 2 PM, Oak Grove
Get ready for a leafy challenge with Arborama!, the ultimate tree-themed bingo game! Explore the garden as you identify different trees, leaves, and other fun nature clues. It’s a great way for kids and families to learn about trees while having a blast. Play bingo, but make it botanical! Discover native trees and their stories with this game.
Roots of Wellness: Building a Healthy Garden
10 AM – 2 PM, Oak Grove
Dig into the secrets of a thriving, eco-friendly garden! Join the Austin Organic Gardeners to explore how companion planting, cover crops, and composting work together to build soil health and support pollinators. Whether you’re a budding gardener or a seasoned green thumb, you’ll pick up practical tips to grow your garden the natural way.
Petals & Pomegranates: The Art of Ikebana
10 AM – 2 PM, Oak Grove
Step into the serene world of Ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arranging, with a hands-on activity that’s perfect for kids and families from Austin Ikebana Group. Learn how to use pomegranate branches to create your own botanical masterpiece while discovering the beauty and benefits of this vibrant fruit — a natural source of fiber, antioxidants, and vitamins.
Butterflies: The Science of Flight with UT Women in STEM
10 AM – 2 PM, Oak Grove
Take flight with WiSTEM as we explore the aerodynamics of butterflies through hands-on experiments and interactive science demos! Discover how butterflies glide, hover, and migrate with grace—and uncover the physics behind their fluttering wings. This engaging activity brings together biology, physics, and fun to inspire curious minds of all ages.
Big Dead Log with Austin Nature and Science Center
10 AM – 2 PM, Oak Grove
Get ready to dig into one of ANSC’s most popular hands-on activities — Big Dead Log! Join us as we investigate and dissect large fallen logs to uncover the tiny creatures living inside. From beetles to fungi, you’ll observe the fascinating decomposers that help recycle nutrients and keep our ecosystems healthy. This interactive activity is a fun and educational way to learn about the hidden world under the bark!
This event is part of the Roots & Wings Festival, Austin’s annual celebration of Arbor Day and Monarch Appreciation Day. The Roots & Wings Festival is held each fall and is sponsored by the City of Austin and its partners. You can learn more and find more related events by visiting www.rootsandwingsfest.com.