The Natural History Museum of Utah wants to change your mind on bugs.
To help make that happen, the museum’s BugFest, running Aug. 8–10, will include workshops, displays, activities and a film screening to help educate the public about the vital role bugs “from pollinators to predators” serve.
While all types of bugs will be discussed and/or presented, the star of the sixth year of the event is the praying mantis.
For the kids, BugFest includes arts and crafts, face painting and more. For older audiences, the festival offers fascinating lectures, a screening of an episode of Bugs that Rule the World in partnership with PBS Utah on Aug. 8 and workshops like a watercolor painting lesson on Aug. 10. Workshops fill up fast. Sign up here.
And the whole family can see live bugs, like Madagascar hissing cockroaches, throughout the event.
BugFest will also include the BugBar, where chef Megan Bartley will serve grasshopper tacos, mealworm fried rice, and other foods made with insect ingredients.
All activities are free with museum admission. Vendors will also be on hand selling a variety of items.
Jason Cryan, executive director of NHMU and entomologist, said the event started small as a partnership between the museum and Jack Longgino, University of Utah professor in the School of Biological Sciences and “Ant Lab” researcher, to transform an icky topic for many into something awe-inspiring.
And it worked. The event received a positive response and grew from a part-day event to a two-plus-day festival with thousands of guests. “Over the years, subsequently, it’s become one of our signature events,” Cryan said.
But why all the hype for such tiny creatures?
“Insects impact every aspect of human life,” said Cryan, mentioning how they impact agriculture, habitation, medicine and more. “It’s really essential that people have an appreciation of the world of insects and how they influence humans. Without them, life on the planet would collapse within days.”
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