Monarch Butterfly Day brings a winged spring fling to Mile Square Regional Park

Kailani Fountaine, 14 of Costa Mesa, holds a monarch butterfly at the annual Monarch Butterfly Day, sponsored by Orange County Parks, at Mile Square Park in Fountain Valley on Saturday, May 25. Visitors had a chance to see butterflies up-close in an enclosure, kids colored masks, got their face painted and even learned how to plant their own butterfly gardens. Small native plants were also given away to attendees.

An attendee gets a closer look at a monarch butterfly chrysalis at the annual Monarch Butterfly Day, sponsored by Orange County Parks, at Mile Square Park in Fountain Valley on Saturday, May 25.

A Monarch butterfly caterpillar gorges on a milkweed plant leaf at the annual Monarch Butterfly Day, sponsored by Orange County Parks, ay Mile Square Park in Fountain Valley on Saturday, May 25.

Amber McBride and her son Carson, 1, look at a Painted Lady butterfly through a screen at the annual Monarch Butterfly Day, sponsored by Orange County Parks, at Mile Square Park in Fountain Valley on Saturday, May 25.

Some live Monarch butterfly chrysalis were displayed at the annual Monarch Butterfly Day, sponsored by Orange County Parks, at Mile Square Park in Fountain Valley on Saturday, May 25.

Live butterflies were defrosted before being taken out of their packages so that attendees could see them flying in enclosures at the annual Monarch Butterfly Day, sponsored by Orange County Parks, at Mile Square Park in Fountain Valley on Saturday, May 25.

Thien Nguyen, 5 of Fountain Valley, had her face painted in the form of a butterfly along with a balloon headdress at the annual Monarch Butterfly Day, sponsored by Orange County Parks, at Mile Square Park in Fountain Valley on Saturday, May 25.

Katie Newman, from Tree of Life Nursery in San Juan Capistrano, left, speaks with attendees about native plants at the annual Monarch Butterfly Day, sponsored by Orange County Parks, at Mile Square Park in Fountain Valley on Saturday, May 25.

Sixela Croslin, 6, of Westminster, wears a colorful butterfly mask she decorated at the annual Monarch Butterfly Day, sponsored by Orange County Parks, at Mile Square Park in Fountain Valley on Saturday, May 25.

Dozens wait in line to see live butterflies at the annual Monarch Butterfly Day, sponsored by Orange County Parks, at Mile Square Park in Fountain Valley on Saturday, May 25.

Sisters Samiah Hinton, left, and Aurelia Khatib, of Huntington Beach, brought their chrysalis tree to the annual Monarch Butterfly Day, sponsored by Orange County Parks, at Mile Square Park in Fountain Valley on Saturday, May 25.

Alexis Maldonado, 9, of Los Angeles, looks at a Gulf fritillary behind a net at the annual Monarch Butterfly Day, sponsored by Orange County Parks, at Mile Square Park in Fountain Valley on Saturday, May 25.

A freshly-defrosted Monarch butterfly warms up at the annual Monarch Butterfly Day, sponsored by Orange County Parks, at Mile Square Park in Fountain Valley on Saturday, May 25.