Five blocks of Sheridan Road in Zion going north to Shiloh Boulevard were lined with zinnias last weekend before a right turn to the Zion Park District Bandshell, where scores of locally raised monarch butterflies were set free Sunday to migrate 3,000 miles to Mexico.

Walking through the park, people were able to gaze at more zinnias, enter the butterfly tent, learn more about the flying insects and let them land on their arms or noses. Just east of the butterfly tent was a beekeeping display complete with bees and honeycombs.

Zion Township Supervisor Cheri Neal said all of that — as well as two days of food, music and dozens of booths with people offering an assortment of merchandise, health services and more — made up the Zion community’s annual late summer festival.

Neal said in 2018

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