Gibbs Park welcomes Monarch Magic

Gibbs Park in Huntington Beach will host its fifth annual Monarch Magic to celebrate butterflies.

The free event will feature a puppet show, face painting, games and an obstacle course from noon to 4 p.m. on Sept. 15. A butterfly house may be set up for children to interact with the winged insects, park caretaker Leslie Gilson said.

Local all-female band Noted Dreams will perform in the afternoon. The 7-acre park is located at 16641 Graham St.

Monarch Magic started five years ago for the children in the neighborhood surrounding Gibbs Park, Gilson said. But in recent years, the community has stepped up and donated money to help maintain the park.

“The money we make is peanuts in terms of fundraising, but it never was a fundraiser to start out with. ...

But with the little money that we get, I’m able to buy the mulch and plants,” she said.

Gibbs Park is known in the community as a stop for the monarch butterflies as they head south for the winter. Recent additions include eight small tile circles explaining the life cycle of a butterfly. In March, a metal butterfly sculpture was stolen from the park.

“Monarch Magic started off as a little local event for the kids, but now it’s morphing into a little bit more,” Gilson said.

—Anthony Clark Carpio

Twitter: @acocarpio