16th Mercer County Bug Fest Set For Sept. 8

The theme for 16th annual Insect Festival sponsored by the Rutgers Master Gardeners of Mercer County is “Bug Us.” The festival will feature a puppet show as well as the “Big Bug Band.”

Bees, Butterflies, Bugs Galore, Bugs in Water, Games in the Garden and an Insect Hunt in the Meadow, and Q&A with Barbara J. Bromley, Mercer County’s Horticulturist, highlight the many activities planned to help visitors learn about the importance of insects in the world.

Local environmental agencies will also be present with their experts and displays, including Rutgers University entomology faculty, the Watershed Institute (formerly known as Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association), Mercer County Mosquito Control, NJ Department of Agriculture Beneficial Insect Rearing Laboratory and the Insectarium. The Naturalist from the Mercer County Park Commission will also be present to lead insect-related activities.

The festival will be held on Saturday, Sept. 8, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., rain or shine, at Mercer Educational Gardens, 431A Federal City Road, Hopewell Township. Admission is free and on-site parking is available.

Attendees are invited to view the seven demonstration gardens — Annual, Butterfly, Cottage, Herb, Native Plant, Perennial and Weed ID. Along the way, there will be activities that will entertain and teach children of all ages about the incredible and often beautiful insects common to the Northeast.

The Master Gardeners of Mercer County is a volunteer educational outreach program of Rutgers Cooperative Extension. Master Gardeners participate in many volunteer programs throughout the county.

They also answer home horticulture questions through their Rutgers Master Gardener Helpline, 609-989-6853, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., March through October. The organization’s winter hours are available on its website.

Cooperating agencies include: Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey; U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Mercer County Boards of Chosen Freeholders. For more information on the Insect Festival and the organization’s other educational programs and events, visit www.mgofmc.org.

Rutgers Cooperative Extension, a unit of the New Jersey Agricultural Experimental Station, is an equal opportunity program provider and employer. Contact your local Extension Office for information regarding special needs or accommodations. Contact the State Extension Director's Office if you have concerns related to discrimination, 848-932-3584.

The attached image was provided by Mercer County officials: Pictured, left to right, unveiling this year’s puppet show are Rutgers Master Gardeners Marilyn Orland, Mary Wagner and Jane McPhail of Pennington, and Nancy Putnam of Hopewell.