Riverside Insect Fair at UC Riverside

Riverside’s annual Insect Fair returns Saturday, April 25, with free hands-on bug exhibits at the Main Library downtown. (cnas.ucr.edu) The event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Riverside Main Library, 3900 Mission Inn Ave., and organizers say it is free and open to the public. (cnas.ucr.edu) Visitors can expect live insects, bug-themed exhibits, cockroach races, storytime with the library, art activities, and demonstrations on how to start an insect collection. (museumofriverside.org) University of California, Riverside entomology graduate students staff part of the fair and are scheduled to show what their research and day-to-day work look like. (cnas.ucr.edu) Entomology is the study of insects, and the fair was created to put that science in front of the public through touchable displays and conversations with researchers. The College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences says the event aims to share current research from the university’s entomology department and bring science, technology, engineering and math education into the Riverside community. (cnas.ucr.edu) The fair began in 2015 as a project of the University of California, Riverside Entomology Graduate Student Association and the Riverside Metropolitan Museum, according to the university. It now lands each spring as part of Earth Day season programming in the city. (cnas.ucr.edu) (riversandlands.org) City and partner listings say this year’s fair will include more than 50 vendors, along with the Wyland Mobile Learning Experience sponsored by Riverside Public Utilities. (riversideca.gov) (wylandfoundation.org) For families, the pitch is simple: show up Saturday, handle a few bugs, and spend an afternoon with the people who study them for a living. (dailybreeze.com)