Plains to Celebrate Rosalynn Carter in Annual Butterfly Daze

The festival will feature the inaugural wreath-laying ceremony for Mrs. Carter at her burial site.

A butterfly sits in former First Lady Rosalynn Carter’s butterfly trail garden, on November 20, 2023 in Plains, Georgia. Rosalynn Carter, who passed away on November 19 at the age of 96, was married to former U.S. President Jimmy Carter for 77 years. In her lifetime she was an activist and writer known to be an advocate for affordable housing, mental health and the protection of monarch butterflies. (Photo by Megan Varner/Getty Images)

There’s a poignant tenor lingering in the air in the small town of Plains, Georgia, as organizers are busy putting the finishing touches on plans for the community’s upcoming annual Butterfly Daze, a celebration that pays tribute to former First Lady Rosalynn Carter leading up to what would have been her 98th birthday.

The celebration, entering its fourth year, will mark the first time it will be held in the absence of both former President Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter. Mr. Carter passed away less than a year ago on Dec. 29, 2024, at age 100 and Mrs. Carter …