PICAYUNE – School groups, 4-H groups and families are invited to Bugfest, a two-day event at Mississippi State University’s Crosby Arboretum in Picayune.

The hands-on learning event will be held from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sept. 21 and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sept. 22. Participants can collect and identify insects, make crafts and play games.

MSU professor John Guyton and entomology student Breanna Lyle will bring a traveling classroom and a portable scanning electron microscope for an up-close look at Mississippi’s insects.

Admission on Friday is $2 for students and free for teachers, chaperones, and bus drivers until 6 p.m. Admission after 6 p.m. on Friday and all day on Saturday is $5 for adults and $2 for children.

On Sept. 21, insect collection activities will be open to school groups from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. School groups of more than 20 should call ahead to preregister for an arrival time. Collecting will continue from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. At dusk, night collecting will begin. Those participating in night collecting should bring a flashlight or headlamp. An insect identification and mounting station will be open continuously at Pinecote Pavilion. From 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. children’s games and crafts will be available at the Buggy Midway.

Events resume at 10 a.m. on Saturday. Insect collecting, live demonstrations, pet bugs and exhibits will be ongoing throughout the day. The Buggy Midway will be open from 10 a.m. to noon. The Audubon Nature Institute’s Audubon Zoo Bugmobile will present two shows on Saturday, one at 3 p.m. and one at 3:45 p.m.

Go to the Crosby Arboretum’s calendar page at http://www.crosbyarboretum.msstate.edu to download the 4-H Insect Collecting Manual and the updated outline of the insect orders.

For more information, including directions to the Arboretum, visit the website or call (601) 799-2311.