The Natural History Museum of Utah’s DinoFest reaches new heights on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 with a spotlight on creatures that once filled the sky.
The tenth annual event includes a lineup of expert speakers, access to the museum’s Paleo Preparation Lab and paleontology collections, dinosaur-themed activities and workshops and more — all with admission to the museum.
“We’ll be talking about all the ancient critters that flew in the skies above dinosaur heads during the Mesozoic era,” said Randy Irmis, curator of paleontology. That list includes pterosaurs, insects and Archaeopteryx, a creature known for bridging the gap between dinosaurs and common birds.
Some of the dinosaurs featured once lived here in Utah. Irmis said pterosaur and early bird fossils found in Utah will be displayed.
Among this year’s speakers, Jingmai O’Connor, associate curator of fossil reptiles at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, will speak on Archaeopteryx, a species that can be described as an early bird, and the origin of dinosaurian flight. Workshops include opportunities to cast your own dinosaur claw, screen print with glow-in-the-dark ink and paint a prehistoric scene.
For the kids, DinoFest highlights include live birds of prey, presented by HawkWatch International and a dinosaur-inspired storytime run by the Salt Lake City Public Library and the museum’s puppet theatre. Guided tours of dinosaur fossils, complete with NHMU researchers and scientists, will also be available.
As a paleontologist, Irmis said he’s most excited about seeing the thousands of museum guests who are “just really excited about dinosaurs and paleontology in general.”
When asked about his favorite dinosaur, Irmis said much of his research is based on the Triassic period, so he would likely pick Coelophysis, an agile hunter of the Triassic.
DinoFest will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jan. 31 to Feb. 1. Tickets available here.
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