BugFest is organized by the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and transforms downtown Raleigh into an enormous hands-on celebration of insects and other arthropods. Scientists, educators and exhibitors give visitors opportunities to examine live specimens, ask entomologists questions and explore the strange biology of the invertebrate world.
The event also includes crafts, games, performances, science talks and Café Insecta, where visitors can sample foods made with insects. The 30th BugFest was held September 19, 2026, with a “Hoppers” theme highlighting leafhoppers, treehoppers and planthoppers. Admission was free. A 2027 date had not yet been announced.