Friday, September 16, 2011

Rainy Day Weekend Activities

Need something exciting to do this weekend? Join the Plant Disease and Insect Clinic at BugFest and CALS Annual Tailgate.  BugFest is an annual festival that celebrates all things creepy and crawly! This year, the theme is spiders! The festival is held at the North Carolina Museum of Science in downtown Raleigh.  NCSU Department of Plant Pathology (with the Plant Pathology Society of North Carolina and USDA) will once again be featuring the BugBus exhibit.  Grad students will be showcasing mites as plant pests and carriers of plant pathogens.  Kids can come learn about spider mites, fig mosaic virus, rose rosette virus, nematodes, and mummy berry disease.  We will have microscopes set up so kids can view these tiny mites in action. BugFest hours are from 9am to 7pm on Saturday, September 17th.  There are plenty on indoor exhibits, along with lots of spidery themed things to do outside! 

For more information on BugFest, click here.

In addition to BugFest, the Department of Plant Pathology will also be at CALS Tailgate.  CALS Tailgate is an annual event for NC State Alumi.  In addition to a great meal, attendees will get the opportunity to see what our College has to offer from academics, research and extension.  The event is packed around fun events, like a silent auction, live band, departmental displays, children's games, and of course, lots of free stuff.   The Department of Plant Pathology will have a display featuring the Plant Disease and Insect Clinic, Plant Propagation Unit, and Turfgrass Diagnostics.  Head over to our booth to see what our department has been up to and learn about plant diseases. 

After the tailgate, you can head over to watch the NCSU vs. South Alabama game for Military Appreciation Night.  Mark Gottfried, the new men's basketball coach, will be showing his appreciation for our military by parachuting into the stadium!

For more information on CALS Tailgate, click here

Hopefully the cool rainy weather won't ruin your weekend! We hope to see you Saturday!