The Natural History Museum of Utah is hosting its annual BugFest on August 8 and 9, 2026, inviting visitors to explore the world of insects through scientific lectures, hands-on workshops, and edible insect treats. The weekend-long celebration coincides with the museum's current 'Bug World' special exhibition, which features massive replicas of insects designed by the Academy Award-winning Weta Workshop.
Scientific Exploration and Lectures
The festival, which takes place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, aims to educate the public on the critical role insects play in global ecosystems. According to the Natural History Museum of Utah, insects are essential for pollinating most of the world's plants, fertilizing the earth, and sustaining complex food webs.
Jason Cryan, Ph.D., the museum's Sarah B. George Executive Director and a trained entomologist, noted that insects affect all aspects of human life. As part of the festival, Cryan will present a lecture titled "Iridescent Insects" on Saturday, August 8, focusing on the visually stunning survival strategies of the jewel wasp, which also serves as the theme for this year's event.
Hands-On Insect Encounters
Beyond formal lectures, the museum is offering immersive, hands-on learning opportunities. Visitors can participate in live insect meet-and-greets led by trained animal handlers, featuring encounters with tarantulas, cockroaches, beetles, and centipedes from the museum's live collections.
Scientific research will also be on display through presentations by experts like Daniel Souto, a University of Utah Science Research Initiative Postdoc. Souto is scheduled to present on the insect biodiversity found in Red Butte Canyon, utilizing fieldwork and molecular DNA techniques to study local arthropod communities.
Workshops and Edible Insects
For those seeking a more adventurous culinary experience, the festival features a "Bug Bar." This specialized station offers unique treats, including grasshopper tacos and termite mac and cheese.
Educational workshops are also scheduled throughout the weekend from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., though some sessions require pre-registration. Available workshops include screen printing insect-inspired tote bags, watercolor butterfly painting, and butterfly pinning. Other specialized sessions include vermicomposting 101, creating small-scale insect sculptures for terrariums, and a workshop for making DIY earrings using real jewel beetle elytra.
The Bug World Exhibition
The BugFest celebrations are held in conjunction with the museum's "Bug World" exhibition, which is currently open through September 7, 2026. This special exhibit was produced by the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa and features large-scale, detailed models built by Weta Workshop, the special effects studio known for work on "The Lord of the Rings" and "Avatar."
The exhibition is designed to provide a "larger-than-life" perspective on insect abilities, such as the flight of dragonflies and the defense tactics of Japanese honeybees. Admission to the Bug World exhibit is included with BugFest festival tickets.
Museum Background and Mission
The Natural History Museum of Utah, established in 1963, is the state's official museum of natural history. Located in the Rio Tinto Center in the foothills above Salt Lake City, the museum houses approximately 2 million objects within its permanent collections.
The museum hosts roughly 300,000 visitors annually and provides science-based outreach to nearly every school district in Utah every other year. The facility includes 12 permanent exhibitions covering geological, biological, and cultural diversity across four levels.
Planning a Visit
The museum's invertebrate collections are managed by Christy Bills, the Invertebrate Collections Manager, who has been with the museum staff since 1998. Her work has included transitioning the collections from 19th-century technologies to modern archival storage and digital databases.
For those planning to attend BugFest, tickets and workshop registrations can be pre-booked through the museum's website. Museum membership offers free admission to BugFest and the Bug World exhibition, as well as a 20% discount on workshop registrations.
Institutional Support
The Natural History Museum of Utah serves as a major scientific research and cultural institution in the Mountain West. Its mission is supported by various community partners and sponsors, including the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation and the Meldrum Foundation.
