Purdue News
Purdue News
|
|
March 15, 2004 Purdue unites fun, family and agriculture at Spring FestWEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Visitors can drive through a toy tractor obstacle course, climb a tree and pet exotic bugs on April 17-18 as part of Purdue University School of Agriculture activities at this year's annual Spring Fest. Spring Fest takes place on the Purdue West Lafayette, Ind., campus from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 17, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, April 18. All events are free and open to the public. Visitors can obtain a map and a list of all events online. For more information, contact Purdue Extension at (888) EXT-INFO. Free event parking will be available in Purdue parking garages and lots. "Spring Fest participants can also visit the 91st Purdue Hort Show, located behind the Horticulture Building, that features a preformed pond, fountain, waterfall, patio and gazebo display," said Corey Mauder, event chair for the Spring Fest Hort Show. The Master Gardeners Society and Gord Society also will be on hand to answer gardening related questions. Spring Fest offers much more than gardening tips – bricks and mortar also take center stage during the Boiler Brick Bowl on Saturday, April 17. "This year, student teams have been challenged to design and construct a fully functional mailbox," said Rob Sovinski, professor of horticulture and landscape architecture. Other Saturday and Sunday events and participating ag departments are: • The Bug Bowl, which will feature activities with insects that include cricket spitting, cockroach races, insect crafts, face painting, honey tasting, an insect petting zoo, insect stir-fry and chocolate-covered insects, exotic insect observation zoo, butterfly exhibit, caterpillar canter, and a cake decorating contest. Bug Bowl events will be in Smith Hall and surrounding the Ag Administration Building, and cricket spitting will be on the Memorial Mall. The Department of Entomology sponsors Bug Bowl. • The Boiler Barnyard will feature large animals, an aquaculture display, sheep shearing demonstrations, pig ultrasounding, microorganisms from a cow's stomach, a coloring contest and animal trivia. Taking place in the grassy areas around Lilly and Smith halls, the event also will offer hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, soft drinks and ice cream. The Department of Animal Science sponsors Boiler Barnyard. • Plants and Microbes in Action will offer activities featuring hands-on experience with plants and soils during a program sponsored by the departments of Agronomy and Botany and Plant Pathology. In and around Lilly Hall, participants can navigate a maze, see how microbes attack roots, learn about biotechnology and get their faces painted. • Landscape architecture and horticulture students will combine humor with familiar plants and everyday materials in a display that takes a witty approach to the basics of gardening. The Purdue Chapter of the Associated Landscape Contractors of America sponsors the display. Saturday-only activities and sponsors include: • Water, Wood and Wild Wonders, sponsored by the Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, will give participants a chance to climb a tree, watch a chainsaw demonstration, visit with Smokey Bear and learn about careers in forestry and natural resources. • The Marketing Madness display, sponsored by the Department of Agricultural Economics, will offer games, prizes and candy. Participants can play matching marketing, the import/export game and spin the wheel of marketing. • Old and New Iron, sponsored by the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, will display classic tractors from yesterday and today. There also will be a chance to win a children's playhouse and an opportunity for children to steer through a pedal tractor obstacle course. • The Department of Consumer and Family Sciences will offer the Grand Prize Game, in which participants can earn play money and spend it on creepy-crawly prizes. Participants also can have a "milk mustache" picture taken, win prizes playing a milk bottle ring toss and jump in the Student Council Moonwalk. • Helping the Healthy and Healing the Heart, a display sponsored by the Department of Veterinary Medicine and Veterinary Technology will provide a live animal spay demonstration, petting zoo, exotic animal exhibit and oxen wagon rides. • Through several fun learning activities at the Purdue Biochemistry Club display, participants will have the chance to travel inside the body to reveal details of the five senses and the circulatory, immune and digestive systems to see how they relate biochemically. Writer: Meggie Issler, (765) 494-8402, missler@purdue.edu Sources: Danica Kirkpatrick, (765) 494-9113, dkirkpat@purdue.edu Corey Mauder, (765) 743-5674, cmauder@purdue.edu Rob Sovinski, (765) 494-1341, sovinski@purdue.edu Ag Communications: (765) 494-2722; Beth Forbes, bforbes@aes.purdue.edu Related release:
|
