Tarantula Awareness Festival On Saturday, October 29th In Coarsegold, California
Tarantula Awareness Festival - Coarsegold, California
This years 14th Annual Tarantula Awareness Festival will be held on Saturday, October 29th in
Have you ever heard of 'Arachnophobia'? Not the movie, but the fear of spiders. Well, even if you have this fear you might not think you'd like to go to a Tarantula Festival, but you just might be surprised. This festival will help to show you that these eight legged arachnids are truly misunderstood. And although you might not call them cuddly, they are really very soft. Each year at the festival I actually look forward to holding one of these fuzzy arachnids and I've come to see them as quit beautiful.
The arachnids can have a life span of over thirty years. Well the females of the species can live that long, the males tend to have a much shorter life span. At this time of year in the mountains you might get to see the Tarantulas actually crossing the roadways in search of a mate. We ask that you please try not to run them over on purpose as they are very beneficial in helping to keep the bug, and even mice, population down.
Every year the festival coordinators always plan lots of fun contests and activities for the whole family to enjoy. 
Past years festivals have included:
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bake-Off
Pizza Eating Contest
Scream Off Contest
Both Men's & Ladies 'Hairy Leg' Contest
Best Decorated Pumpkin Contest
Tarantula Poem Contest
Children's Costume Contest
And finally the highlight of the day...the Tarantula Races!
The Tarantulas race through an opaque tube while the handlers blow on the end of the tube. The first Tarantula to make it through the tube wins the race. There are many prizes given out for all of the contests throughout the day.
Hope you have a 'Spook-tacular' Halloween.
Article by Yvonne Sarazin
For Photo Slideshows from past Festivals click the links below:
Coarsegold, California Tarantula Festival October 30, 2010
Coarsegold, California Tarantula Festival October 24, 2009
