5th annual event takes place 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 27

Riverside, Ca – The 5th Annual Riverside Insect Fair returns to the streets of downtown Riverside on Saturday, April 27, with Hercules Beetles, fuzzy Tarantulas and pencil-thin Walking Sticks.

The Insect Fair, hosted by the City of Riverside and the UC Riverside Entomology Graduate Student Association, gives the Southern California community a glimpse into how insects impact our lives.

New additions this year include Chef Robert Sevaly cooking with bugs. Kreepy Kreatures Reptile Show will be featured in three shows throughout the day. Andy Harkness, the author and illustrator of the book “Bug Zoo” will be reading aloud from his work and drawing from his experiences as a Disney Animation Studios artist who worked on such films as Pocahontas, Tangled, Frozen and Zootopia and more.

Guests will experience the world of insects as they count the little critters through a microscope, learn about pollen as they play games, and get the chance to enter a butterfly tent. With more than 40 booths and countless scientists, guests are encouraged to bring their inquisitive minds and questions.

UC Riverside scientists from the Graduate School of Entomology will display interactive exhibits of current research. Fair guests will be challenged to become research partners as they count insects and view them through microscopes. For students who are interested in STEM careers or just want to know more about an insect in the yard, the Fair is a fun learn opportunity.

The Fair will also feature crafts and learning tools, books and jewelry, and experts to answer those pesky questions about the creepy crawly critters found around us.

For more information: (951) 826-5408 or www.riversideca.gov