PICAYUNE, Miss. -- Insects and their habitats take center stage during Bugfest at the Mississippi State University Crosby Arboretum in Picayune on Sept. 21 and 22.

The hands-on event offers families and school groups an opportunity to participate in various activities, including games, presentations, arts and crafts, and insect collecting and identification. MSU Extension Service entomologist John Guyton along with professors and students from the MSU Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology and Plant Pathology will lead presentations and activities.

Bugfest opens to school groups Sept. 21 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Students, teachers and chaperons will enjoy a field day of collecting and identifying insects on the grounds of the arboretum. Admission is $2 for students and free for teachers, chaperones and bus drivers. School groups must reserve an arrival time by calling the arboretum at 601-799-2311.

The event opens to the public Sept. 21 from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. Participants can enjoy entomology-based arts and crafts on the Buggy Midway from 6 to 8:30 p.m. A night-collecting event begins after dark. Bring a flashlight or headlamp.

The event again opens to the public from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sept. 22. The Buggy Midway will be open during the event. The New Orleans Audubon Zoo’s Bugmobile will offer presentations from 10 a.m. to noon. Admission for the Friday evening and Saturday events is $5 for adults and $2 for children 12 and under.

The Crosby Arboretum, operated by the MSU Extension Service, is located at 370 Ridge Road in Picayune, off of Interstate 59, Exit 4.

For more information about the event, visit the arboretum’s website at http://crosbyarboretum.msstate.edu/.

Mississippi State University is an equal opportunity institution. For disability accommodation, please contact Jennifer Buchanan at 601-799-2311 or jennifer.buchanan@msstate.edu.