UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Learn about the diverse world of insects at this year’s Great Insect Fair, the annual Penn State event that celebrates insects with a variety of activities, games, crafts and more.
Open to the public, the event will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 20 at the Snider Agricultural Arena on the University Park campus. Admission is free, but donations will be accepted to help cover costs. Free parking is available at the Snider Agricultural Arena.
Laura Porturas, assistant curator at the Frost Entomological Museum, said the fair is a fun and educational event hosted by the Department of Entomology that centers around the fascinating world of arthropods and their relationship with humans.
“The insect mascot this year is the Frosted Elfin butterfly (Callophrys irus), which was decided by vote by last year’s Great Insect Fair visitors,” she said. “The Frosted Elfin is a native butterfly that is critically imperiled in Pennsylvania and declining across its entire range.”
Porturas said that there will be information available at the fair about insect conservation and how people can help promote healthy insect populations.
Other activities will include an insect zoo; honey tastings; face painting; vendors selling a variety of insect arts and crafts, books and T-shirts; and more.
For more information, visit the Great Insect Fair website.