FREE EVENT / FAMILY FRIENDLY / Accessible in english and spanish
As part of this year’s Santa Cruz River Dragonfly Festival, we are pleased to host our fifth annual Bugs & Bites at the Playground. Join Sonoran Institute’s Santa Cruz River team and local experts Scully Young, Julius Schlosburg, and Doug Danforth as they unveil the mesmerizing world of dragonflies, fireflies, and bee flies. Join us for a fun family-friendly evening while relaxing in a fun downtown Tucson venue!
We will have real-time interpretation into Spanish for all the presentations.
Como parte del Festival de Libélulas del Río Santa Cruz de este año, nos complace presentar nuestra cuarta edición anual de Bichos y Bocadillos en el Playground Bar & Lounge. Acompaña al equipo del Río Santa Cruz del Sonoran Institute y a expertos Scully Young, Julius Schlosburg, and Doug Danforth, mientras desvelan el fascinante mundo de las libélulas, las luciérnagas y las moscas abeja. ¡Únete a nosotros para disfrutar de una noche divertida, familiar y relajada en un animado lugar del centro de Tucson!
Contaremos con interpretación en tiempo real para las presentaciones en inglés y español.
Where/Lugar: Playground (278 E Congress St, Tucson, AZ 85701), open only for this private event
When/¿Cuándo?: Wednesday, September 17th, from 6:00 P.M. to 9:00 P.M. Presentations will start at 6:30 P.M.
Scully Young is an aquatic invertebrate researcher who did their studies at the University of Arizona’s School of Natural Resources and the Environment.
Julius Schlosburg is a Tucson-based conservation photographer focusing on water, landscape, and the interaction between the built environment and natural ecosystem. For the last 6 years he has been obsessed with Arizona fireflies and the ways in which they can help demonstrate the complex interdependencies which underpin the habitats in which they are found.
Doug Danforth is a retired middle school science teacher. He is an avid photographer and naturalist. He is the co- author of “70 Common Butterflies of the Southwest” and of “Damselflies and Dragonflies of Arizona and Sonora”. Besides birds, butterflies and dragonflies he has always been intrigued by the variety, beauty, and behavior of Bee Flies and has begun studying them more intensely.
All are welcome to join! While this is an open-door event, registration is requested but not required. Food menu and drinks will be available for purchase at Playground.
¡Todos son bienvenidos a participar! Aunque este es un evento de puertas abiertas, se solicita registro (pero no es obligatorio). Habrá menú de comida y bebidas disponibles para su compra en Playground.
The 2026 Santa Cruz River Dragonfly Festival is a series of FREE events and activities brought to you by Club Congress, Desert Diamond Casino, Mission Garden, Playground Rooftop, Pima County Regional Flood Control District, Pima County Wastewater Reclamation Department, Pima County Conservation Lands and Resources, Queerd Science, Sonoran Institute, Town of Marana Parks and Recreation, Tucson Electric Power, Tucson Water, and University of Arizona’s School of Natural Resources and the Environment. Special thanks to Pima County Libraries for distribution of the dragonfly kits.
El 2026 Festival de la Libélula del Río Santa Cruz es una serie de eventos y actividades GRATUITAS presentadas por Club Congress, Desert Diamond Casino, Mission Garden, Playground Rooftop, el Distrito Regional de Control de Inundaciones del Condado de Pima, el Departamento Regional de Reclamación de Aguas Residuales del Condado de Pima, Pima County Conservation Lands and Resources, Queerd Science, Sonoran Institute, Tucson Electric Power, Tucson Water, el Departamento de Parques y Recreación del Pueblo de Marana, y la Escuela de Recursos Naturales y el Medio Ambiente de la Universidad de Arizona. Un agradecimiento especial a las Bibliotecas del Condado de Pima por la distribución de los kits de libélulas.