Field Museum celebrates the cicada emergence with insect-pinning classes, Meet a Scientist events, and a bug-inspired meal at Big Star
Left: A Cicada Parade-a is emerging at the Field Museum, part of a public art project done in collaboration with the Insect Asylum to celebrate this year's emergence. © Field Museum Right: Two of the tasty dishes featuring edible insects that will be available at Bug Bites on June 11th in collaboration with Big Star. © Big Star
A once-in-a-lifetime, double emergence of periodical cicada broods is nearly impossible to ignore — a trillion screaming bugs as loud as a chainsaw will make sure of that. The Field Museum is celebrating this phenomenon that will take Illinois by storm with a selection of buggy programming throughout May and June.
The Field will have some cicadas of its own emerging on May 15th, in collaboration with the public art project Cicada Parade-a and the Insect Asylum. These 18-inch specimens will be scattered across the museum, directing guests to the Science Hub where Maureen Turcatel, PhD, will be talking with visitors about cicadas and why this year’s emergence is so significant from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM. There will be Meet a Scientist events featuring our insect experts each week in the Science Hub from May 15th through the end of June.
Press are invited to join us in the Science Hub on Wednesday, May 15th for our kickoff celebration. Please RSVP to press@fieldmuseum.org.
If just talking about cicadas isn’t enough for you, you can try your hand at eating some insect-inspired dishes at Bug Bites on June 11th from 5 PM to 8 PM. This event hosted in collaboration with Big Star West Town will feature several treats made with insects or inspired by them.
"Bugs are delicious and nutritious... and crunchy!" says Chris Miller, Culinary Operations Director at Big Star. Miller designed the event’s menu to highlight the traditional Oaxacan dishes that have guided the cuisine they serve at Big Star every day.
But what is a Field Museum social without a side of science? Our insect experts will join in on the fun bringing their live bug zoo, items from the collections, and other surprises for guests to enjoy at the restaurant.
A full list of the Field’s cicada events is below.
Event listings:
Meet a Scientist: Dr. Maureen Turcatel - Wednesday, May 15
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM - Meet a Scientist - Grainger Science Hub (Field Museum)
Meet a Scientist: Jim Louderman - Tuesday, May 21
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM - Meet a Scientist - Grainger Science Hub (Field Museum)
Cicada Pinning Workshop: - Wednesday, May 29
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM - Cicada Pinning Workshop (Field Museum) - Tickets available here
In this after-hours special event, our Field scientists will lead you through the process of pinning a cicada with museum-grade materials and expertise. Come for the experience and leave with a beautiful piece of art.
Meet a Scientist: Alissa Doucet & Abigail Magland - Thursday, May 30
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM - Meet a Scientist - Grainger Science Hub (Field Museum)
Meet a Scientist: Tatiana Sepulveda, Diego Souza - Wednesday, June 5
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM - Meet a Scientist - Grainger Science Hub (Field Museum)
Bug Bites - Tuesday, June 11
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM - Big Star West Town (551 N Ogden, Chicago)
Tantalize your taste buds with adventurous bites created by Big Star’s chefs-- think grasshopper tacos, ant mole, and more. The Field’s scientists will be at the restaurant with a live bug zoo and insects from the museum’s collection to keep the bug love going. The evening is first come, first serve or you can reserve seats ahead of time here.
Meet a Scientist: Diego Souza, Tatiana Sepulveda - Wednesday, June 12
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM - Meet a Scientist - Grainger Science Hub (Field Museum)
Meet a Scientist: Elizabeth Postema - Thursday, June 20
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM - Meet a Scientist - Grainger Science Hub (Field Museum)
Meet a Scientist: Bruno de Medeiros - Wednesday, June 26
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM - Meet a Scientist - Grainger Science Hub (Field Museum)
PlayLab PlayDate: Cicadas Take Flight Storytime & Craft - Wednesday, June 26
11 AM - 12 PM - Crown Family PlayLab (Field Museum)
The Crown Family PlayLab will be hosting a PlayLab PlayDate featuring cicadas! Families with 2-6 year olds are invited to this free, drop-in storytime and craft session exploring the cicada emergence taking place this spring and summer.
All Meet a Scientist programs are free with general museum admission. Admission information to Bug Bites and the Cicada Pinning Workshop can be found on our website.
Visit our Cicada Invasion page for additional information.
A press kit including photos from our collections is available on DropBox.