Antelope Island State Park will host its annual Spider Fest on August 22, 2026, bringing together arachnophiles and arachnophobes for an evening of educational presentations, guided walks, and community science activities at the park marina.
Evening of Educational Activities
The festival is scheduled to run from 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., centered around the Antelope Island Marina located just after crossing the causeway. According to Discover Davis, the event aims to celebrate and educate the public about the island's most abundant wildlife: spiders.
Activities at the marina will include food trucks, face painting, various crafts, and educational information tents. The event is designed to serve as a platform for both learning and entertainment for families and nature enthusiasts alike.
Guided Nature Walks
A primary feature of the event is the in-person guided spider walks. To ensure a high-quality experience for all participants, these walks are strictly sign-up only and must be registered on the day of the event at the main State Park Information Tent.
Scheduled to take place once or twice every hour between 3:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., each guided walk lasts approximately 45 minutes. These walks allow attendees to observe spiders in their natural habitats alongside park experts.
Citizen Science Initiatives
The festival also serves as an opportunity for citizen science through the State-wide Spider Fest BioBlitz. Participants are encouraged to use the iNaturalist platform to post observations of spiders found on Antelope Island, in their own backyards, or throughout Utah.
This effort aims to track arachnid biodiversity across the state. In 2024, the initiative recorded 373 observations encompassing 61 different species in Utah. Organizers are hoping the 2025 and 2026 efforts will surpass those previous numbers.
Community Engagement Resources
Beyond the live event, Utah State Parks provides various resources and scavenger hunts to engage the community. Downloadable scavenger hunts are available from partners such as the Ogden Nature Center and the Swaner EcoCenter, allowing people to participate even if they cannot attend the festival in person.
Educational materials also include virtual presentations covering topics such as spider silk research at Utah State University, spider web wonders, and tarantulas. The park also provides guides on ethical photography to ensure that visitors can capture images of spiders without harming the animals, their webs, or their natural habitats.
Event Commemoratives
For those looking to commemorate the event, Spider Fest T-shirts are made available for purchase. Based on previous festival operations, these items are typically stocked at the Antelope Island State Park Gift Shop starting in the days leading up to the event and will also be available at the State Park Information Tent during the festival itself.
