Did you ever wonder how Mariposa got its name? Mariposa is Spanish for butterfly. The reason Mariposa was given its name was because of the swarms of butterflies that inhabited the area in the 1800's. In September of 1806 Alferez Gabriel Moraga and his men were camped in the area and swarms of butterflies came through the camp causing a “great annoyance” to one of the men, as a butterfly got stuck in his ear. The chaplain of the expedition, Father Pedro Munoz, wrote in his diary “ This place is called Las Mariposas [the butterflies] because of their great abundance.” That is why today, Mariposa is named Mariposa.

On Friday and Saturday, May 4^th and 5^th the town of Mariposa is hosting the 2007 Butterfly Festival. There will be events all weekend, but the highlight of the festival will be the Butterfly Releases throughout the weekend. The goal of the releases is to reestablish the butterfly population in the Land of Butterflies. One long time resident shared with me the remembrance of the butterflies being so thick fluttering down Mariposa Creek that is was like looking through a snow storm.

The butterflies that will be released will be the Painted Lady variety, which is native to this area. The Painted Lady looks very much like the beloved monarch, just a tiny bit smaller in size. The releases will take place at the Mariposa Creek Parkway sign at the bottom of 5^th Street. The first will be Friday evening at 6:00 P.M. It is sponsored by Natural Environments and will kick off the Festival Events. Friday night will also be a costume contest and entertainment by Cousin Jack's Kids. There will also be a short presentation focusing on the meaning of Mariposa. During the day, local artists will be decorating the sidewalks in the Arts Park with Chalk. All are welcome to participate in this free event sponsored by Pioneer Market.

Saturday morning begins bright and early with the a Belgium Waffle and Strawberries Breakfast at the American Legion, the Art and Artisan Show in the Arts Park, the Chamber of Commerce sponsored “Flamin' Butterfly Chili Cook-Off” at Chocolate Soup, A Quilt Show at the History Center and a parade downtown. If that is not enough, later in the day there will also be a Butterfly Garden Demonstration, Street Entertainers, Native American Dancers performing, the “Widders and Floozies” will be walking the streets, a Miss Chili Pepper Contest sponsored by the Shadow Casters, raffle drawings, a special event area for the kids, and a Food Court on 7^th Street, with Indian Tacos, Tri Tip Sandwiches, and of course – hot dogs for the kids. The biggest release of butterflies which is sponsored by Drug Tech will be at 3:00 P.M. Butterfly releases will take place throughout the day, each one sponsored by a local business. The event will close with live music in the park.

If you have any questions or would like to be participant or help in any of the events, it's not to late to sign up. Just give a call to 742-5522 or Email butterflyfestival@sti.net