Festival Crawl: Hobbits & Hoppers 🐛🧝

Two of Raleigh's nerdiest free festivals land on the same Saturday, a short walk apart. So we're doing both 🐛🧝

Join us for an afternoon that starts with bugs and ends with Middle-earth.

First up: BugFest at the Natural Sciences Museum, celebrating 30 years with 100+ exhibits, games, and Café Insecta (real edible bugs, if you're brave). Then we'll walk over to Hobbit Fest at Moore Square for food trucks and Tolkien-themed festival fun.

Whether you're a Tolkien devotee, a bug person, or just looking to meet people on a Saturday, come hang. Costumes welcome, never required.

Meet: NC Veterans' Memorial, north side of Capitol Square (1 E. Edenton St.)
Time: 1:00 PM
Parking: Wilmington Street Parking Garage, a short walk from our meeting spot or other parking options
Cost: Free to attend — food trucks, Café Insecta, and any vendors are pay-as-you-go

We'll wander BugFest together, then head to Moore Square for HobbitFest.

Our official Meetup wraps up once we've made our way through HobbitFest. If anyone wants to keep the day going, the 5:00 PM showing of The Return of the King is right there — not an official part of the event, just an option for anyone who wants to stick around and watch.

Heads up: this route involves about a 10–15 minute walk between the museum and Moore Square, plus outdoor seating on grass or pavement for the screening. Bring water, sunscreen, and comfy shoes — and a blanket or chair too if you're sticking around for the movie. Let us know if you need any accommodations and we'll do what we can to help.

Plans change, no stress — if you end up not able to make it, just update your RSVP at least 24 hours in advance so we have a realistic headcount for the day. No-shows and last minute cancellations are subject to removal from the group per our policy.

Come solo, bring a friend, come for an hour or stay all evening ✨