Tarantulas, cockroaches, millipedes, oh my!
Nearly 500,000 live and preserved insects will be on display at the university’s annual Insect Fair on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 19 & 20. For more than 25 years, thousands of visitors and collectors have flocked to view displays of exotic creepy-crawlers. Vendors will also sell insect related apparel, toys, jewelry and artwork throughout the weekend.
Dick Kaae, a professor in the plant sciences department and one of the event’s organizers, says that the fair boasts species that are incredibly rare.
“Some vendors who sell items at the fair bring in their own collections worth millions,” he says. “Some insects have never been seen before in public.”
The event is open both days 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Bronco Student Center. Admission is $6 for adults, $4 for students and children ages 3-12, and free for children under 2. Free parking is available in Lots B and C.
The Insect Fair is held the same weekend as the Pumpkin Festival, located at the Farm Store at Kellogg Ranch. Matt’s Run, the annual 5k that raises money for scholarships, will be held that Saturday at the W.K. Kellogg Arabian Horse Center.
Proceeds from the event fund a biannual educational trip for Agriculture Biology Club members. Because of the event’s success, students interested in entomology have been able to study, collect and catalog insects in places like Costa Rica and Indonesia.