Fans of things that creep and crawl have a big day coming up. Bama Bug Fest returns tomorrow to celebrate the benefits of arthropods. It’s taking place at the Alabama Museum of Natural History. This festival is a way to highlight the specific type of bugs that live in Alabama and to highlight the role insects play.
Dr. John Friel is the director of the Alabama Museum of Natural History. He said the goal of the event is to gain more attention each year.
“Our bug fest gives us an opportunity to engage directly with the public to entertain them but also to educate them," he said. "Bugs are a very polarizing topic for a lot of people. People either love them or hate them. Hopefully people will leave the event learning something about bugs.”
Friel said he wants people to leave the event with a positive attitude about bugs.
“We even touch on the topic of eating insects, which seems to be particularly taboo in our culture. But many other cultures around the world regularly eat insects and other arthropods," he said. "If you eat shrimp, crab or lobster or crayfishes, you’re effectively eating the cousins of bugs. So the idea is you really want to come over that stigma and just educate people.”
The event is free and open to all ages.