BugFest

Flutter on up to BugFest — a BIG celebration of Utah’s tiniest residents. The weekend of August 9 and 10, NHMU will be buzzing with fun, giving bug lovers of all ages the opportunity to explore Utah’s incredible array of insects and the plants they pollinate. This year's festival will shine the spotlight on one of the coolest bugs around: the praying mantis! Discover what makes them so awesome at a weekend-long celebration of the busy bees and bizarre bugs that call Utah home.

The Weekend Overview

Friday 8/8 | Exclusive Butterfly Mounting Workshop (Sold Out); Free Film Screening (Sold Out)

Saturday 8/9 | All-day Activities; Beetle Boutique Workshop; Terrarium Design Workshop

Sunday 8/10 | All-day Activities; Insects in Watercolor Workshops

Scroll to the bottom of this page to get details on each day's events!

Workshops Worth Buzzing About

View and register for artisan workshops below — seats are limited and expected to fill quickly. Please note that this year, when you register for a workshop, you'll be granted museum admission at no extra cost!

Friday Evening Workshop — August 8, 2025

• Butterfly Mounting | Christy Bills

  6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. | Sold Out

  Be a part of an exclusive butterfly mounting workshop led by Christy Bills, NHMU’s Curator of Entomology. In this special workshop, you'll have the rare opportunity to work directly with NHMU's entomology team as you learn to mount two ethically sourced butterfly specimens. After the workshop, you'll get to take your specimens home as a completely unique keepsake from BugFest 2025. Seats are very limited.

Saturday Workshops — August 9, 2025

Haunting Beauty

• Beetle Boutique | Haunting Beauty

  12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. | Register Here 

  Create stunning, iridescent earrings using real jewel beetle elytra (wings). A variety of charms and beads will be provided to personalize your designs, with options available for clip-ons and gauge-friendly styles. No prior jewelry-making experience is needed — just bring your creativity!

  

  Example DIY terrarium supplies. Subject to variations.

• Terrarium Design | Marissa Harrison

  2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. | Register Here

  Learn how to build the perfect home for insects, then build a home for your new bug buddy. You will learn about the process of designing a terrarium that takes into account the needs of the insects inside them! We'll also look at terrariums designed for a variety of invertebrates.

   

Sunday Workshops — August 10, 2025

Heath Ogden Art

• Insects in Watercolor | Heath Ogden

  *To accommodate a high demand, this workshop is being offered in two separate sessions.*

  12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. | Register Here

  2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. | Register Here

  Unwind with a watercolor workshop celebrating the beauty and diversity of insects through a relaxing, hands-on painting lesson! In addition to completing your own watercolor masterpiece, you will also take home a print of one of Dr. Ogden's pieces and an instruction sheet for how to do more insect watercolor artwork at home.

BugFest Activities Include:

Expert Speakers: Learn about the big role tiny insects play across ecosystems.

Face Painting and Photos: Enjoy free face painting and fun photo ops!

Amazing Specimen Displays: Get an up close view of Utah’s incredible bugs and plants.

iNaturalist Fun: Explore and learn about nature by using the iNaturalist app.

The Famous BugBar: Try delicious and unique insect treats!

Sensory-Friendly Area: Reset your mind in a relaxing, quiet space.

Special Exhibit Access: Tour Mysteries of the Ice Ages, which looks back at plant and animal life from thousands of years ago.