Elijah Noriega 
MISSION – On a chilly Friday night, the National Butterfly Center hosted the annual ‘Haunted Trails,’ where the community was invited to walk a one-mile hike through the woods.
“This event is our second year we do this and the first year was very successful, even though we were new at it, but it was pretty scary and pretty fun to walk. We’ve been working at it throughout the whole year, acquiring costumes and ideas, and always trying to change the concept so it’s not a boring repetition. It’s always something new and people will be interested in. The fact that we have all these natural resources and natural habitats, come visit us and come see how really colorful it is out there,” said Max Muñoz, the director of operations for the National Butterfly Center.
The Butterfly Center is a non-profit organization so they continue to plan events throughout the year, just like the upcoming Monarch Festival happening this Saturday, November 2.
“The Butterfly Festival is the 2nd of November, it’s free community day, everybody is more than welcome to bring the whole family. It is the migration peak, so it is our peak season as well. We get so many butterflies in here, I always tell people if you walk out the doors and you don’t close your mouth you end up swallowing them. That’s how many butterflies are out here at that time,” he continued.
Long lines formed throughout the night, and the wait times were for hours, but the community still enjoyed their time at the trails.
“Unfortunately no tarantulas, but it was very creative and funny at some points. I had a great time,” said philosophy major Marisol Cervantes.
For more information of upcoming events at the Butterfly Center, you can always visit their Facebook page.
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