Brookside Gardens welcomes back its local-favorite Butterfly Experience this spring, which invites guests to wander among hundreds of butterflies from all around the world.

Set in a curated environment in the South Conservatory House full of butterfly-friendly plants, gorgeous flowers and a running water fountain, roughly 500 to 700 butterflies of different colors, sizes and origins can be spotted at any given time. And as new ones hatch throughout the exhibit’s run, the lineup constantly changes.

“If you see something beautiful, which happens every time, you can reference the ‘Fluttering Today’ board,” said Raymond Carter, conservatory manager at Brookside Gardens. A large board to the side of the house features colorful photos of the current butterfly lineup, sorted by continent of origin.

Part of the Montgomery County Parks Department, Brookside Gardens in Wheaton aims to offer an awe-inducing visual experience, as well as to educate attendees on how factors such as climate change and habitat loss are leading to the decline of native butterfly populations. One of the international butterfly vendors uses profits from local gardens to fund reforestation projects in Costa Rica.

“It’s really beautiful to think that the simple thing of hosting an event like this, that’s magical and inclusive, is also helping those conservation efforts around the world,” Carter said.

A couple of do’s and don’ts before you visit the space: Don’t bring in or take out any organic materials (i.e. food, drinks or plants). Carter does recommend bringing water to drink after exiting the exhibit, though: Butterflies like it hot, so the conservatory’s thermostat is set upwards of 90 degrees.

Photography is welcome, but no tripods or selfie sticks (unless you’re registered for a separate photography session outside of normal hours).

Most importantly, don’t touch the butterflies.

“If a butterfly lands on you, you’ve been selected,” Carter joked. “If you don’t want it there, you can calmly raise your hand, and any staff member or volunteer can come up to you. We all carry paint brushes with us: We just roll the bristles gently under their feet and we can delicately remove them.”

The Butterfly Experience opened Wednesday and runs through Sept. 7.

Tickets can be purchased in advance for $15.99 for those 13 and older, $10.99 for 3 to 12-year-olds and free for kids under 3. Same-day tickets are also available but limited.

Tickets for a more sensory-friendly experience are also available on select mornings for those who would have a better experience with a more limited capacity and less-overwhelming natural lighting.

Here are more things to do this weekend and beyond in Montgomery County.

An animation workshop

Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 2-3 p.m.

Help your kids finish spring break on a strong note with an animation lesson. Local cartoonist and animator Leila Cabib hosts a crash course focusing on the history, science and creativity of the world of animation for students ages 10 to 15. Locations vary by day: White Oak Library in Silver Spring on Thursday, Connie Morella Library in Bethesda on Friday, and Marilyn J. Praisner Library in Burtonsville on Saturday.

Attendance is free; registration is required.

Final Four watch parties

Friday and Saturday, times vary

March Madness is heating up, with two women’s Final Four matchups Friday night and the two men’s games Saturday night. A slew of sports bars and restaurants around the county are hosting watch parties with game day specials, including Caddies on Cordell in Bethesda; The Grove in Potomac; The Greene Turtle in Olney and Burtonsville; and Sports & Social in North Bethesda.

Entry is free, food and drinks available for purchase.

A community flea market

Saturday from 8 a.m.-1 p.m.

Shop till you drop at the first Germantown community flea market of the year, which is open on the first Saturday of the month, April through November. Hosted by the Germantown Historical Society, the market will feature shopping and food vendors in the MARC parking lot on Germantown Road.

Admission and parking are free.

A town-wide Easter egg hunt

Saturday from 9 a.m.-noon

There are Easter eggs all around Olney — and anyone who finds one can win a special prize. Search the town, find a numbered Easter egg (limited to one per person), and bring it to the Rollings Home Team of Exp Realty office to redeem for a prize, which could be a local restaurant or store gift card. There’s also one golden egg, which lands the finder a mystery prize worth over $100.

Participation is free, no registration required.

A book launch for two local poets

Saturday from 1:30-3:30 p.m.

Local poets Claudia Gary and Roderick Deacey are both celebrating their newly released poetry books: “Time and Other Solvents” and “Birds Flew In,” respectively. Join The Writer’s Center in Bethesda to hear the writers read aloud and discuss their works.

Attendance is free, but registration is encouraged as spots are limited.

An out-of-this-world soundbath

Saturday from 3-6 p.m.

Outer space fans can listen to an expert speak about planet research and enjoy a post-lecture meditative soundbath at BlackRock Center for the Arts this weekend. Sabine Stanley, a Bloomberg distinguished professor at Johns Hopkins University in the department of Earth and planetary sciences, joins the Germantown arts center while it presents the traveling exhibit “Fierce Planets,” which showcases outer space-themed quilts by international artists.

Registration is free.