BE ADVISED: On Saturday 4/11, traffic, parking, and wayfinding in the area will be impacted by a nearby event at the LA Memorial Coliseum. Please consider riding the Metro E (Expo) Line and exiting at USC/Expo station.

Bug Fair

Saturday, May 16–Sunday, May 17 | 10 am–5 pm
Add to calendar 2026-05-16 10:00:00 2026-05-16 17:00:00 NHM - Event - Bug Fair 2026 Natural History Museum nhmla webmaster@nhm.org America/Los_Angeles public

Date

Saturday, May 16–Sunday, May 17 | 10 am–5 pm

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Location

Natural History Museum
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Tickets

Tickets will be available in late April!
Free with paid Museum admission and to Members
Members receive exclusive access from 9–10 am. Join today!

Bug Fair 2026

Tickets will be available in late April!

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Over one million species. Only one Bug Fair.

Fly over to NHM on May 16 & 17 for our 40th annual Bug Fair, NHM's two-day fan-favorite festival celebrating our bug-eyed and multi-legged friends! Experience up-close encounters with crawly creatures; gain a deeper appreciation for insects, their ecosystems and their impact on our planet; get hands-on and crafty with interactive activities, and so much more! Also, while you’re there, bee sure to visit a variety of exhibitors who will be displaying and selling everything from exotic insect collections to amazing bug-related products. 

#NHMLA #BugFair 

Bug Fair - Exhibitor with tarantula

Bug Fair 2026 Exhibitors

Visit a variety of exhibitors to see exotic insect collections and to purchase bug-related products, bugs for pinning, and live bugs as well!

Schedule of Events 

More information coming soon!


Learn more about Bug Fair participants!

Photo of Aly Moore

Aly Moore - Bugible

After studying public health at Yale, Aly started blogging about the nascent ‘insect industry’ on Bugible.com. Over the years, Bugible’s work has evolved to include advocacy, education, event hosting, and working with companies restoring insects to our food system. She’s featured 90+ times in media, including Forbes, Bill Nye, LA Times, and even her own network cooking show. Moore is here to replace fear of the unknown with curiosity to explore - to open minds and mouths to a more sustainable, nutritious, delicious, and biodiverse future. 

Photo of Maynard Okereke

Maynard Okereke, Science Communicator

Maynard Okereke, aka the Hip Hop MD, is an award-winning science communicator, STEM personality, and keynote speaker. He founded Hip Hop Science to encourage minorities and youth to pursue more advanced careers in STEM. Okereke has won the Asteroid Award for Best Streaming Content, The National Society of Black Engineers’ Entrepreneur of the Year, and named on Ebony Magazine's Top 100 List.  He’s been featured on Netflix’s Ada Twist Scientist, The Science Channel, and Curiosity Stream, and in Scientific American. He has also partnered with NASA, the Natural History Museum, the Boston Museum of Science, the LaBrea Tar Pits, Blue Origin, Microsoft, and NVIDIA. Okereke lives in Los Angeles, CA and is online at hiphopscienceshow.com

Photo of Stephanie Dole

Stephanie Dole, Owner & Entomologist, Beetlelady
Stephanie Dole, PhD,  known as the Beetlelady, is an entomologist who captivates audiences of all ages with her enthusiasm and knowledge of insects. She brings the world of bugs to life through engaging, hands-on educational class and experiences, such as her Pop-Up Bug Museum. 

www.beetlelady.com
 

Photo of One Grain of Sand

One Grain of Sand Puppet Theater

One Grain of Sand Puppet Theater began in the fall of 2001 with a small suitcase show and the idea that even one tiny grain of sand can tilt the balance toward a more positive future. One Grain of Sand Puppet Theater includes puppetry artists, musicians, visual artists, actors, choreographers, educators and community organizers. We focus on very small portable shows and also very large puppets for festivals, pageants, community actions and parades.  The core of the work is sharing the ordinary/extraordinary stories of everyday people. The heart lies in building communities through puppet theatricals that explore cultural reclamation, ancient myth, connection to the earth, little known community stories and the issues of our time. 

To learn more about the One Grain of Sand Puppet Theater, visit their Instagram and Facebook.

Image of Horticulture staff working in the garden

Horticulture Team
The Museum has a dedicated staff of horticulturalists that oversee the care and maintenance of our gardens. The Nature Gardens has over 600 kinds of plants, including California natives and others from around the world, that are home to a variety of birds, butterflies, lizards, squirrels, and more! This amazing team enjoys sharing their love for horticulture and gardens with the local community.
Follow Nature Gardens on Instagram @nhmla_naturegardens

Image of Living Collections team presenting a live animal

Living Collections
Did you know the museum has a team of professional animal keepers on site 365 days a year? They take excellent care of all animals on exhibit and behind the scenes at the museum, utilizing the natural history expertise of our scientists as well as our veterinarian, who advises on any medical and nutritional needs. Because even a frog needs a doctor sometimes. We have around 15-25 species of vertebrates, and 70-100 species of invertebrates at any given time.  
Follow Living Collections on Instagram @nhmla_liveanimals

Image of Museum Educator leading a Storytime program.

Museum Educators

The Museum Educator team at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County are the knowledgeable staff that enhance the visitor experience through personal interaction. Through research and training, Museum Educators create and facilitate educational programs for general museum visitors, for school groups, and for special events, both in-person and virtual.

Image of Performing Arts team members

Performing Arts

The team behind the Performing Arts department at the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County creates live theatrical performances based on our exhibits, research, collections, and events.

Image of a collection display table

Research and Collections
The Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County protect and share more than 35 million specimens and artifacts, the largest natural and cultural history collection in the western United States. The Research and Collections Department is the research institution within the museums. They create new knowledge through academic scholarship in history and science. Visitors can get up close to these fascinating objects and specimens, which are sometimes displayed in exhibitions and during museum events. 

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Aly Moore - Bugible

After studying public health at Yale, Aly started blogging about the nascent ‘insect industry’ on Bugible.com. Over the years, Bugible’s work has evolved to include advocacy, education, event hosting, and working with companies restoring insects to our food system. She’s featured 90+ times in media, including Forbes, Bill Nye, LA Times, and even her own network cooking show. Moore is here to replace fear of the unknown with curiosity to explore - to open minds and mouths to a more sustainable, nutritious, delicious, and biodiverse future. 

Maynard Okereke, Science Communicator

Maynard Okereke, aka the Hip Hop MD, is an award-winning science communicator, STEM personality, and keynote speaker. He founded Hip Hop Science to encourage minorities and youth to pursue more advanced careers in STEM. Okereke has won the Asteroid Award for Best Streaming Content, The National Society of Black Engineers’ Entrepreneur of the Year, and named on Ebony Magazine's Top 100 List.  He’s been featured on Netflix’s Ada Twist Scientist, The Science Channel, and Curiosity Stream, and in Scientific American. He has also partnered with NASA, the Natural History Museum, the Boston Museum of Science, the LaBrea Tar Pits, Blue Origin, Microsoft, and NVIDIA. Okereke lives in Los Angeles, CA and is online at hiphopscienceshow.com

Stephanie Dole, Owner & Entomologist, Beetlelady
Stephanie Dole, PhD,  known as the Beetlelady, is an entomologist who captivates audiences of all ages with her enthusiasm and knowledge of insects. She brings the world of bugs to life through engaging, hands-on educational class and experiences, such as her Pop-Up Bug Museum. 

www.beetlelady.com
 

One Grain of Sand Puppet Theater

One Grain of Sand Puppet Theater began in the fall of 2001 with a small suitcase show and the idea that even one tiny grain of sand can tilt the balance toward a more positive future. One Grain of Sand Puppet Theater includes puppetry artists, musicians, visual artists, actors, choreographers, educators and community organizers. We focus on very small portable shows and also very large puppets for festivals, pageants, community actions and parades.  The core of the work is sharing the ordinary/extraordinary stories of everyday people. The heart lies in building communities through puppet theatricals that explore cultural reclamation, ancient myth, connection to the earth, little known community stories and the issues of our time. 

To learn more about the One Grain of Sand Puppet Theater, visit their Instagram and Facebook.

Horticulture Team
The Museum has a dedicated staff of horticulturalists that oversee the care and maintenance of our gardens. The Nature Gardens has over 600 kinds of plants, including California natives and others from around the world, that are home to a variety of birds, butterflies, lizards, squirrels, and more! This amazing team enjoys sharing their love for horticulture and gardens with the local community.
Follow Nature Gardens on Instagram @nhmla_naturegardens

Living Collections
Did you know the museum has a team of professional animal keepers on site 365 days a year? They take excellent care of all animals on exhibit and behind the scenes at the museum, utilizing the natural history expertise of our scientists as well as our veterinarian, who advises on any medical and nutritional needs. Because even a frog needs a doctor sometimes. We have around 15-25 species of vertebrates, and 70-100 species of invertebrates at any given time.  
Follow Living Collections on Instagram @nhmla_liveanimals

Museum Educators

The Museum Educator team at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County are the knowledgeable staff that enhance the visitor experience through personal interaction. Through research and training, Museum Educators create and facilitate educational programs for general museum visitors, for school groups, and for special events, both in-person and virtual.

Performing Arts

The team behind the Performing Arts department at the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County creates live theatrical performances based on our exhibits, research, collections, and events.

Research and Collections
The Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County protect and share more than 35 million specimens and artifacts, the largest natural and cultural history collection in the western United States. The Research and Collections Department is the research institution within the museums. They create new knowledge through academic scholarship in history and science. Visitors can get up close to these fascinating objects and specimens, which are sometimes displayed in exhibitions and during museum events. 

Meet the Emerald Cockroach:
 

Highlights from previous Bug Fairs!

Bug Fair 2022 - Entomology table display
Bug Fair 2022 - Live bug presentation (1)
Bug Fair 2022 - Butterfly walks
Bug Fair 2022 - Bug Band on stage
Bug Fair 2022 - Honey exhibitor
Bug Fair 2022 - Bug Fair exhibitor display
Bug Fair 2022 - Exhibitor hall with guests
Bug Fair 2022 - Tarantula exhibitor with a guest
Bug Fair 2022 - Bug pinning collections for sale
Bug Fair 2022 - Bug Fair exhibitor (2)
Bug Fair 2022 - Bug collection display case
Bug Fair 2022 - Bug crafts
Bug Fair 2022 - Bug chef demonstrations
Bug Fair 2022 - Live bug presentation (2)
Bug Fair 2022 - Bug Fair exhibitor (3)
Bug Fair 2022 - Live bugs for sale
Bug Fair 2022 - Live bug presentation (3)

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