Bug Fest Returns to the Academy of Natural Sciences With Guided Bug Tours, Roach Races, and More

The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University will host its 19th annual Bug Fest on Saturday, August 8, and Sunday, August 9. The two-day event will take place both inside the museum and outdoors, and will include programming led by scientists, artists and educators focused on insects.

Bug Fest activities will run during the Academy’s regular open hours of 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both days and are included with general admission.

Mariah Romaninsky, Executive Director of Education and Visitor Experience for the Academy, said the event is intended to present insects as beneficial and ecologically significant rather than solely through commonly used descriptors like “creepy” and “crawly.” Romaninsky said the festival offers opportunities ranging from viewing a Madagascar hissing cockroach to learning about local insect species.

Recurring festival features will include guided bug walks in Logan Square, roach races and educational stations. Visitors will also have access to the Academy’s entomology collection, with Academy entomologists available to demonstrate insect identification and pinning techniques.

A new addition this year is a paint-by-number community mural created by artist Manuela Guillén, which guests will be able to contribute to during the event.

Outside the museum, an outdoor marketplace will feature local artists and artisans whose work is inspired by the natural world. The Academy’s new native garden on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, part of the ongoing Botany of Nations exhibition, will also be open, with information available on the benefits of planting native plant species.

Liam O’Donnell, Public Programs Educator for the Academy, said the event reflects the institution’s more than two-century history of connecting the public with nature, animals and ecosystems, including insects. O’Donnell said the festival is designed to be accessible to visitors ranging from schoolchildren to experienced naturalists.