Bugfest and Jim's Faceoff with the Cricket Baguette

We traveled downtown for one of the funnest events of the year- Bugfest! Everything is about bugs- you can even bring a bug to "stump the experts." There were so many booths- one where you could put your bare hand in and play with wasps that don't sting, buy your own necklace that holds a petri dish with a worm eating yarn, bug coloring, you name it.

All sorts of bugs in the petri dishes- Michael is particularly interested in the "assassin bug" which is totally armored! They had praying mantis feedings every half hour at that booth too.

The assistants (I think they were students from the University) were psyched up about bugs like I've NEVER dreamed of. This guy picked up a hissing cockroach and was talking about how they usually act because apparently he picks up cockroaches all the time. For research?

Michael got awfully close to this one with horns. The student told us that these guys exist in NC, but I have thankfully never seen anything that big. Imagine this festival in Florida!! :-)

Nicole made her own bug necklace and Michael got a bug silly band.

The kids all tried to get the bugs out of the "web." The parents had fun helping too!

Jacob was a sweetheart and didn't cry once. He had his own "bug" firefly to keep him happy and he watched everyone the whole morning.

With all of the poisonous, scary, otherwise non-desirable bugs around in all containers imaginable, it was a blessing nothing escaped besides a few bees from the honeybee exhibit!

Nicole trying to make a crayfish tunnel after watching the real thing.

There were lots of VW Bugs around, but this dead one was the best! We got there right as everything was starting and saw them set this up-pretty crazy!

There was a chalk drawing area where you were supposed to draw bugs. Nicole and Michael just enjoyed filling in as much black space as possible on the street. We went back to this one and the people in charge knew Nicole and Michael's names since the kids were so enthusiastic about this booth.

Believe it or not, there were 5 or so cafes that put together high class bug dishes to serve for free. Not kidding. Nicole got grasshopper cornbread and butter (you could see the bug legs and wings in the butter!!) Jim got a cricket baguette-french bread slice with normal toppings but then 4 crickets on top. I got a salad with millipedes or something on top that I could not for anything actually eat after looking at it. Nicole at a bite of her grasshopper cornbread, and watch the video at the bottom to see if Jim can down the bread with 4 whole crickets...

I don't think Nicole knew what was in the cornbread, but she still only had a few bites. The guy behind us in line told one of the chefs serving that he ate bugs all the time. The chef was very polite and asked where he got his bugs. The guy answered right back that he found them in his yard. The chef asked what bugs he ate (and my jaw kept dropping) and the man started listing his favorites. Jim and I just stood there in line eavesdropping in disbelief and finally left to eat our food. I cannot imagine eating bugs. on. a. regular. basis!

There was a huge inflated caterpillar tunnel/slide that Nicole went through a few times since the lines weren't long when we got there. Michael made it about halfway but got scared and came out.

I enjoyed watching the parents try to keep track of their kids in the tunnel through all of the little windows.

After an hour or so outside-we got through it all pretty quickly since we were there when it opened-we went in the museum of natural sciences (right there and free!) to look at a few floors of more animals and booths set up. I didn't get any other pictures, but we went in a butterfly room, saw a bunch of crazy scary diamondback rattlesnakes and green emerald boa snakes, and colored bug pages. As crazy as this might sound, this was one of our favorite family outings and we were amazed at how popular the event was! This is a keeper!

Will he eat it? Would he like it if he did? Jim's faceoff with the cricket baguette and other video from our day.