Central Illinois Bat Festival

Saturday, September 26, 2026

Central Illinois Bat Festival

Our theme this year is “Backyard Bugs and Bats”

More information to come for the 2026 Bat Fest!

If you want to volunteer for Bat Fest, please fill out this link: Volunteer.

1 - 4:00pm at Anita Purves Nature Center (Ruby Bus Route)
5:30 - 8:00pm at Crystal Lake Park (Orange/Gold Bus Route)

Join us at the third annual Central Illinois Bat Festival — a free two-part celebration of bats, bugs, and science! This year, we’re celebrating backyard bugs and bats!

Kicking off at 1pm at Anita Purves Nature Center, explore vendor booths, food trucks, kids art activities, face painting, and thrilling talks from top bat experts. Then, flap over to Crystal Lake Park at 5:30 kick things off with our costume contest of epic proportions for all ages. And when the sun sets, witness a live demonstration of bats’ echolocation, on a live bat acoustic walk to hear and see real bats hunting for bugs under the stars!

Questions? Reach out to Amy Banner.

Expert Talks

1:30pm How to Help Bats in your own Backyard with Brittany Rogness
2:00pm Murder Mystery Bat DNA with Jordyn Chace
2:30pm Starting a Pollinator Garden for Beginners with Ricky Gieser
3:00pm Nocturnal Networks: Why Moths Matter for Bats (and Beyond) with Claire Berdik