BugFest 2007
August 21, 2007
(RALEIGH) – A flea shot out of a cannon? A scorpion wallowing in your stir fry? Ten thousand bees hanging from someone’s chin? What’s it all about? It’s all about BugFest 2007 – the return of the biggest bug-centric festival in the country, only at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in downtown Raleigh, Saturday, September 15, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
All four floors of the Museum, as well as the plaza outside and the Capitol grounds, will be teeming with bugs, bug-lovers and bug-experts, with more than 100 different displays and presentations this year. Additionally, a raised stage on Jones Street will feature live music, gourmet bug cooking demonstrations and The Alberti Flea Circus, back by popular demand.
Part magician, part storyteller, part comedian and all entertainer, Jim Alberti is a third-generation flea circus impresario. Don’t miss seeing Alberti’s delightful performers, including Paddy O’Reilly Shaughnessy who waves an Irish Flag, Captain Spaulding who is shot from a cannon, and the daring bikini-clad Dardenell who does the traditional flea circus high dive.
Kids can enjoy learning about creatures found in local lakes, make expressive “buggy” hats, or explore a giant inflatable caterpillar in the expanded Kid Zone. Bigger kids can get expert tips on how to create a butterfly garden and see exhibits devoted to beneficial bugs in the Garden Zone. Both are located on the Capitol Grounds.
Featured presenters include Wil Hershberger and Lang Elliott, who will share amazing images and sounds from their new book, “The Songs of Insects.” Standard favorites return, including the bee bearding station, which features a person adorned with a living beard of bees; the Roachingham 500, a race featuring Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches, with returning champ, Roachard Petty; and the Café Insecta, where you can enjoy yummy bug-filled fare. Traditional food and drink are also available for sale.
All BugFest activities are free. Activities on the Capitol grounds will close at 5 p.m. For more information about BugFest, call Tricia Blakistone at 919-733-7450, ext. 523. Don’t forget, this is the last weekend to see the Museum’s special exhibit, “Wild Music: Sounds and Songs of Life,” which closes Sunday, September 16. There is a small fee for this exhibit.
The Museum is located in downtown Raleigh on Bicentennial Plaza at 11 West Jones Street. For information call 919-733-7450, ext. 304/305, or visit naturalsciences.org / 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 am to 5 pm, and Sun., noon to 5 pm. Admission is free. Visit the Museum on the Web at naturalsciences.org. The Museum is an agency of the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, William G. Ross Jr., Secretary.
| Home | What's New? | Visitor Info | Calendar | Exhibits |
| Education | Research | Museum Store | Join Us! | |
| Search | Fun Stuff | Site Map | Staff Directory | Links |