BugFest Re-Emerges on Sept. 25
August 16, 2004
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Jon Pishney or Maria Sadowski
at (919) 733-7450, ext. 304 or 305.
RALEIGH - The threat of severe weather caused a disappointing but necessary cancellation of BugFest on its scheduled date, so the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences has decided to hold a re-emergence of BugFest 2004 on Saturday, September 25 from 9am to 4pm. "After much consideration and encouraging comments from the public, we have decided to bring BugFest 2004 back to life. Nearly all of the original events have been rescheduled, so BugFest will be as big and buggy as ever," said special event coordinator Bob Flook.
As the nation’s
largest single-day bug event, BugFest attracted over 20,000 visitors in
2003, offering quirky bug-filled fun for adventurous people of all ages.
BugFest 2004 celebrates swarming insects, in honor of the “Brood
X” cicada, billions of which swarm sections of the eastern United
States throughout the month of June. These amazing cicadas and other live
specimens are displayed at the event. Other creepy and crawly visitors
include the giant death’s head cockroach (the world’s second-largest
cockroach), the impressive Asian Atlas Beetle, the beautiful N.C. native
Eastern Hercules Beetle, and other arthropods from around the state and
world. The diversity of critters on display, from horseshoe crabs to the
Blue Morpho Butterfly, serve as physical and visual illustrations of the
expansion and variety of the phylum Arthropoda.
In addition
to learning about insects, arachnids, and crustaceans from around the
world, BugFest visitors can even taste them as the main ingredients of
the delectable gourmet dishes at Café Insecta.
Café Insecta has expanded its unconventional menu this year to
include more critter creations than ever. New bug-filled dishes, such
as Creepin’ Creole Crawfish and Szechwan Scorpion Stir-Fry, join
the swarm of already popular insect delicacies served annually at BugFest!
If you don’t feel up for Banana Worm Nut Bread or Shoo-Fly Pie for
dessert, traditional food and drink are available for sale.
The amazing bee-bearded man is back for a thrilling encore appearance
at this year’s BugFest. “Bee” astonished as a North
Carolina beekeeper fashions a “bee-autiful” living bee beard.
This exhilarating demonstration helps people of all ages to understand
the buzz around the importance of the queen bee to her hive. This guest
appearance and other activities are made possible by Terminix Co. of Eastern
North Carolina-Nimocks Group, the sole sponsor of BugFest 2004.
More than 100 displays, exhibits, and activities highlight BugFest. Fun
activities include the “Roachingham 500 Roach Races” –
with returning champ Roachard Petty – the Bugged-Out Sand Sculpture,
and make-and-take activities with the Scrap Exchange.
Flook gets excited every year when BugFest crawls into town. He encourages
visitors to look at insects and arthropods in new ways and to “let
their hair down and have fun!” Flook is not the only one excited
about this zany event. Reader’s Digest included BugFest! in its
“Summer Hit List” in June 2003 while the Turner South Network’s
“Blue Ribbon” featured BugFest! in a “best of the best”
episode for unique food festivals.
All activities are free. People (and bugs) of all ages are welcome. The
Museum is located in downtown Raleigh on Bicentennial Plaza at Jones Street.
As Jones Street will be closed due to event expansion, parking will be
available along Edenton Street and in the surface parking lots on the
corner of Jones and Wilmington. For information call 919/733-7450, ext.
305 or visit bugfest.org.
The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, in downtown Raleigh, documents and interprets the natural history of the state of North Carolina through exhibits, research, collections, publications, and educational programming. Hours: Mon.-Sat., 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sun., noon to 5 p.m. Admission is free. Visit the Museum on the web at www.naturalsciences.org. The Museum is an agency of the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, William G. Ross Jr., Secretary.
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