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Crosby Arboretum Bugfest set for Sept. 16 and 17
PICAYUNE, Miss. -- Families and school groups can have fun while learning about insects and their habitats at the annual Crosby Arboretum Bugfest Sept. 16 and 17 in Picayune.
The hands-on event, held at the Mississippi State University Crosby Arboretum, encourages children, teachers and parents to get curious about the world of entomology.
Attendees can participate in insect-themed games, educational presentations, arts and crafts, and collection and identification opportunities. A staffed mounting station will be available throughout the event.
Special events include pollinator walks, spider walks, Madagascar cockroach races, a cricket-spitting contest, bog walks through the Ross Hutchins Trail, and an in-depth session on beekeeping by Extension Bee Specialist Jeff Harris. Organizers also will have an aquatic insect identification station and a mini entomology zoo. Entomological Moments presentations will provide information on migratory butterflies, skulls and bugs, insect repellants and mosquitoes, and first aid for stings and bites. The Bugfest butterfly face board and cricket mascot will be available for photos throughout the event.
Bugfest is open to school groups from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sept. 16. Admission is $2 for students and free for teachers, chaperones and bus drivers until 6 p.m. School groups must reserve an arrival time by calling the arboretum at 601-799-2311.
The event opens to the public from 2 to 10 p.m. on Sept. 16. Participants can enjoy entomology-based games and other activities on the Buggy Midway from 6 to 8 p.m. Night collecting begins at dusk. Bring a flashlight or headlamp.
Bugfest is again open to the general public from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sept. 17. The Buggy Midway is open from 10 a.m. to noon. The New Orleans Audubon Institute’s Bugmobile will present several programs between 1 and 2:30 p.m.
Admission is $5 for adults and $2 for children after 6 p.m. on Sept. 16 and all day on Sept. 17. The event is free for arboretum members.
For more information, visit the Crosby Arboretum website at http://crosbyarboretum.msstate.edu/september-calendar.
The Crosby Arboretum, operated by the MSU Extension Service, is located at 370 Ridge Road in Picayune, off of Exit 4 of Interstate 59.
