It's the month of March in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and it's absolutely full of all kinds of activities and fun things for you to enjoy. For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, this is our first full month of spring, and it's autumn in the Southern Hemisphere, which means lots of cool ACNH items to collect, seasonal island changes, and so much more. This ACNH March Update guide covers every event, seasonal item, DIY recipe, critter change, villager birthday, and island transformation happening throughout the month so you don't miss a thing.

ACNH March Update 2026 – New Events, Seasonal Items, DIYs, Critters, Birthdays & Island Changes

March is packed with seasonal events like Shamrock Day and the start of Bunny Day preparations, along with limited-time items available through Nook Shopping and the Able Sisters. On top of that, both hemispheres receive new DIY recipes tied to seasonal materials, a large rotation of bugs, fish, and sea creatures, and visual changes across your island and its buildings. Fun fact, the game actually came out on March the 20th, so it's definitely a very special month for Animal Crossing players.

ACNH March Events & Seasonal Items To Get

March features several holidays and events, each bringing their own themed items. A bunch of different seasonal items are available in March that you can collect through the Nook Shopping app or tab in Resident Services. Here's what's happening and what you can pick up.

Pi Day (March 1–14)

We have the pie for Pi Day, which will last from March the 1st until the 14th, so you can grab this one right away. This is a food item, which is pretty cool, but it can be displayed within your house just like any other item in the game, which is definitely useful. If you've been wanting to celebrate Pi Day in Animal Crossing, then you can definitely do so with this item.

Item to get: Pie (available via Nook Shopping from March 1–14)

Hinamatsuri (Ending March 3)

The two items for Hinamatsuri will be leaving on the 3rd, so make sure to get them whilst you still have the chance. These are available through Nook Shopping, and once March 3 passes, they won't be back until next year.

Items to get: Hinamatsuri seasonal items (available via Nook Shopping, leaving March 3)

Shamrock Day (March 10–17)

There is one larger seasonal event which takes place in the Nook Shopping area and also other parts of the game, and that is Shamrock Day. From March the 10th until the 17th, you'll be able to get free items from Nook Shopping. We have the door plate, we have the rug, and we also have the drink, which is a holdable item and an incredibly cool one at that. The Shamrock Shake is especially fun to carry around your island.

But that isn't all that there is to the Shamrock Day event within Animal Crossing: New Horizons, as also during this period, you will be able to visit the Able Sisters and get a limited-time full outfit to enjoy the event with. Definitely head in there whilst these clothes are available if you don't have them already. Also, during this time, you should be able to get the recipe for the Shamrock Wand from Balloon Presents. There's actually a lot of fun little things going on for Shamrock Day within the game.

Items to get:

• Shamrock Doorplate (Nook Shopping, March 10–17)

• Shamrock Rug (Nook Shopping, March 10–17)

• Shamrock Shake (Nook Shopping, holdable drink, March 10–17)

• Shamrock Day outfit (Able Sisters, March 10–17)

• Shamrock Wand DIY recipe (Balloon Presents during the event period)

April Fool's Day Item (March 26 – April 1)

We also have an item available for April Fool's Day from March the 26th until April the 1st, so you've got a little bit of time to get your hands on that as well through Nook Shopping.

Item to get: April Fool's Day item (Nook Shopping, March 26 – April 1)

Bunny Day Preparations (March 29 – April 4)

Another major event that is happening within the game right at the very end of the month is Bunny Day, which will actually start the celebrations from the 29th until the 4th of April. You should be able to see Zipper T. Bunny around the island. You'll be able to start getting your hands on eggs, which villagers can give you. You can find them in balloons, you can of course fish them up, and a bunch of other methods. This is just a little bit of prep for the main event, which of course begins on April the 5th this time. Thankfully, the lead-up isn't too distracting from the regular gameplay at this time of the year compared to early April, so it's worth heading out there to see what you can get for Bunny Day.

Items to get: Various eggs from balloons, fishing, villagers, and other sources (March 29 – April 4)

ACNH March DIYs & Items To Craft

March opens up a fresh set of seasonal DIY recipes for both hemispheres, each tied to materials that can only be gathered during this time of the year. Below is a full list of every item you can craft within each recipe series.

Northern Hemisphere – Young Spring Bamboo Series

If you're in the Northern Hemisphere, then you'll be able to start collecting young spring bamboo from the start of the month. There are so many great young spring bamboo recipes that you can collect, and honestly, these are some of the best items available in the game. You should be able to find these recipes from your villagers and also from balloon presents as well, so definitely increase your collection. Young spring bamboo is obtained by hitting bamboo trees on your island and is available throughout spring.

Craftable items in the Young Spring Bamboo series:

• Bamboo Doll

• Bamboo-grove Wall

• Bamboo Noodle Slide

• Bamboo-shoot Lamp

• Bamboo Wand

• Basket Pack

• Green-leaf Pile

• Light Bamboo Rug

• Pan Flute

• Steamer-basket Set

Southern Hemisphere – Tree's Bounty Series (Acorns & Pine Cones)

If you're in the Southern Hemisphere, then you can now start to shake those trees and get yourself acorns and pine cones. There is a large variety of really cool recipes that you can craft with these materials. The piles of leaves that you can get are particularly great — they just fill so much space around your island. It's definitely worth collecting these materials when they become available. Cornimer will also be able to give you extra pine cones over on Tortimer's island as well, so lots to enjoy if you're in the Southern Hemisphere. Recipes are found through balloon presents during the autumn season.

Craftable items in the Tree's Bounty series (available from the start of autumn):

• Acorn Pochette

• Leaf Campfire

• Pine Bonsai Tree

• Pile of Leaves

• Traditional Balancing Toy

• Tree's Bounty Lamp

• Tree's Bounty Little Tree

• Tree's Bounty Mobile

• Yellow-leaf Pile

Craftable items available later in autumn:

• Tree's Bounty Arch

• Tree's Bounty Big Tree

The Arch and Big Tree recipes appear later in the autumn season, so they won't be available right away in March. Keep collecting acorns and pine cones throughout the season so you have plenty of materials ready when those recipes become obtainable.

ACNH March Bugs, Fish & Sea Creatures

Here is a full rundown of all the bugs, fish, and sea creatures arriving and leaving in March for both hemispheres.

Bugs

• Arriving in the Northern Hemisphere: Yellow Butterfly, Tiger Butterfly, Peacock Butterfly, Mantis, Orchid Mantis, Honeybee, Stinkbug, Man-faced Stinkbug, and the Ladybug.

• Arriving in the Southern Hemisphere: Common Butterfly, Yellow Butterfly, Monarch Butterfly, Cricket, Bell Cricket, Red Dragonfly, Violin Beetle, Pill Bug, and the Centipede.

• Leaving in March – Northern Hemisphere: The Emperor Butterfly.

• Leaving in March – Southern Hemisphere: Tiger Butterfly, Emperor Butterfly, Agrias Butterfly, Rajah Brooke's Birdwing, Queen Alexandra's Birdwing, Atlas Moth, Madagascan Sunset Moth, Grasshopper, Walker Cicada, Pondskater, Diving Beetle, Giant Water Bug, Rosalia Batesi Beetle, Earth-boring Dung Beetle, Goliath Beetle, Rainbow Stag, Walking Leaf, and the Mosquito.

Fish

• Arriving in the Northern Hemisphere: Tadpole, Loach, Cherry Salmon, Char, Golden Trout, and the Barred Knifejaw.

• Arriving in the Southern Hemisphere: Pike, Cherry Salmon, Char, Golden Trout, Salmon, King Salmon, Mitten Crab, and Sturgeon.

• Leaving in March – Northern Hemisphere: Bitterling, Yellow Perch, Stringfish, Sturgeon, Sea Butterfly, and Football Fish.

• Leaving in March – Southern Hemisphere: Crawfish, Soft-shelled Turtle, Sweetfish, Salmon, King Salmon, Nibble Fish, Piranha, Arowana, Dorado, Gar, Arapaima, Saddled Bichir, Clown Fish, Surgeonfish, Butterfly Fish, Puffer Fish, Blue Marlin, Ocean Sunfish, Saw Shark, Hammerhead Shark, Great White Shark, Whale Shark, and the Suckerfish.

Sea Creatures

• Arriving in the Northern Hemisphere: Chambered Nautilus, Firefly Squid, and the Spider Crab.

• Arriving in the Southern Hemisphere: Oyster and Sweet Shrimp.

• Leaving in the Northern Hemisphere: Red King Crab.

• Leaving in the Southern Hemisphere: Flatworm, Gigas Giant Clam, Horseshoe Crab, Moon Jellyfish, Sea Grapes, Sea Urchin, Slate Pencil Urchin, and the Tiger Prawn.

ACNH March Villager Birthdays

A number of villagers celebrate their birthday in March. If any of these happen to live on your island, then you can celebrate with them, which is incredibly exciting. You can visit their home on their special day, bring them a wrapped gift, and enjoy a small birthday party. You can also collect them as an icon from the Nintendo Switch Online section of your Nintendo Switch using your platinum points.

Here is the full list of villagers with March birthdays:

• March 1 – Dora

• March 2 – Curt

• March 3 – Bubbles

• March 4 – Colton

• March 5 – Spork

• March 6 – Doc

• March 7 – Midge

• March 8 – Moe

• March 9 – Huck

• March 10 – Tia

• March 11 – Elise

• March 12 – Al

• March 13 – Biskit

• March 14 – Pekoe

• March 15 – Antonio

• March 16 – Groucho

• March 17 – Chrissy

• March 18 – Drake

• March 19 – Harry

• March 20 – Stinky

• March 21 – Audie

• March 22 – Bitty

• March 23 – Cerberus

• March 24 – Hopkins

• March 25 – Annalisa

• March 26 – Kid Cat

• March 27 – Lopez

• March 28 – Barold

• March 29 – Bubbles

• March 30 – Deirdre

• March 31 – Marcel

ACNH March Island Changes

March brings a range of visual and environmental changes to your island depending on which hemisphere you are in.

Northern Hemisphere - Spring Transformation

When the game starts up in March, you'll notice the grass looks very sort of dead, still kind of wintry like it did at the end of February. But as the month progresses, the grass will get greener and greener. Later on, it'll look absolutely beautiful. Spring will be in full action, and that classic Animal Crossing look that we all know and love will be in full swing.

To celebrate spring, there'll be a bunch of different bush changes as well. If you happen to be in the Northern Hemisphere, then the pink camellia and red camellia will stop blooming at the end of the month, so definitely enjoy them whilst you still can — they're definitely some of the prettiest bushes in the game.

The outside of the museum's hotel area will look a little bit different with some new flowers to enjoy. That snowman has officially gone, and the stickers on the door have also changed for this time of the year. Inside, the flowers on the table will have changed as well. The buildings in the game get some special seasonal changes, and this isn't the only one either, as the outside of Nook's Cranny will also change for this time of the year with a nice spring display. Spring absolutely is a favorite season in Animal Crossing, and this is just another reason why it's so great.

Southern Hemisphere - Autumn Transition

If you're in the Southern Hemisphere, then the outsides of these buildings will reflect the autumn season as well, which also have some very pretty looks.

For bush changes, the pink plumeria and the white plumeria will stop blooming on March the 20th, so you don't have too long to enjoy them. The red hibiscus and yellow hibiscus bushes will also stop blooming on March the 20th in the Southern Hemisphere, so that's definitely something to keep in mind. However, the orange tea olive and the yellow tea olive will start blooming from March the 21st, so you have that to look forward to as the season shifts.

March is one of the most activity-packed months in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, with seasonal transitions, multiple events, a huge critter rotation, and plenty of items to collect before they disappear. There's so much to enjoy, so get out there and make the most of your island this month.