3rd Annual Hokie Bugfest
Venue: Latham Ballroom (Inn at Virginia Tech), Blacksburg
Directions: Google Map Link
Date: Saturday, October 19, 2013
Time: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Event Types: Miscellaneous, Family Friendly, Speaking Engagements
Cost: Free

Description:
The third annual Hokie Bugfest will be held on Saturday, October 19th at the Inn at Virginia Tech (Latham Ballroom).

The Hokie Bugfest is a smorgasbord of bug-themed activities for both kids and adults. It features a live Bug Zoo, a haunted Bug House, luminescent bugs, games, crafts, and eye-catching exhibits. Bug enthusiasts can admire a giant bird-eater tarantula, watch cockroach races, try on a beekeeper’s suit, and chat with the HokieBird and Hokietron. Other activities include making bug boxes, tossing bug bags, and guessing how many crickets are in a tank. After visiting eight exhibits, children can earn a junior entomologist certificate.

The themes of science and discovery are interwoven into all activities. Older kids and adults will enjoy learning about gypsy moths, monsters of the insect world, beekeeping, and the importance of insects to our environment. Young entomologists can try to stump the “wizards of entomology” and see how insects move through high-speed photography. A bonus for teachers: the content of many Bugfest activities ties into state Standards of Learning.

The main attraction of the Hokie Bugfest is the bugs themselves. Some well-known “bad guys” of the insect world will be on hand: bed bugs, stink bugs, mosquitoes, and termites. Death-feigning beetles, scorpions, tarantulas, hissing cockroaches, and millipedes will be on display. Our favorites are the vinegaroons – cave-dwelling whipscorpions that squirt vinegar from their tail!

Another featured attraction of the Hokie Bugfest is the Alberti Flea Circus. Jim Alberti’s troupe of performing fleas has charmed audiences from coast to coast. The flea circus will perform several times during the day.

The Inn at Virginia Tech is on the edge of the Virginia Tech campus off Price’s Fork Road, close to the 460 Bypass and near downtown Blacksburg. Plenty of parking will be available.

The Hokie Bugfest was inspired by William B. Alwood, Virginia’s first entomologist. Alwood, an early pioneer of pest management and fruit culture, was one of Virginia Tech’s greatest scientists. The W.B. Alwood Entomological Society, a graduate student organization, helps host the Bugfest as part of its outreach mission.

For more information, visit: http://www.hokiebugfest.com/

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