La Junta Tarantula Fest
September 25-26, 2026
Join us for our annual Tarantula Festival in Downtown La Junta
Enjoy a parade, vendors, education pavilion, tarantula tours, live art and much more!
FEST TOURS
Adventure out on Tarantula Tours to see the tarantulas in their natural habitat.
FEST PARADE
Want to be part of the annual Tarantula Fest parade? Sign up to join the line here?
FOOD Vendors
Calling all food vendors. Sign up to feed folks at our annual Tarantula Fest.
Events, locations and times are subject to change.
FRIDAY | SEPTEMBER 25, 2026
Friday, Saturday, Sunday
Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site - 35110 State Highway 194
10-11 AM
Story Time - Dr. Cara Shillington, Professor of Biology
Woodruff Memorial Library – 522 Colorado
1-3 PM
Dr. Paula Cushing and Dr. Cara Shillington - Experts Tarantula Talk
Otero College – 1802 Colorado
Ed Stafford Theatre
3:15 PM - 5:30 PM
Arachnophobia Movie - Free Admission
Fox Theatre – 11 East 3rd Street
"An Arachnophiliac discusses Arachnophobia" - movie talk by Dr. Paula Cushing - prior to the Movie
Q&A with Steven Kutcher - The Bugman of Hollywood - after the Movie
Please Note: Those attending the tours will need to leave the movie early.
5 PM - 8 PM
Tarantula Fest Bus Tours
Thyme Square, 302 Colorado
SATURDAY | SEPTEMBER 26, 2026
9 AM
Downtown La Junta
9 AM - 5 PM
Vendor Booths
Otero County Courthouse – 13 W 3rd – Southside
9 AM - 3 PM
Classic Car Show
Otero County Courthouse – 13 W 3rd – Northside
10 AM
Tarantula Parade
10:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Education Pavilion
Thyme Square, 302 Colorado
9 AM - 5 PM
Food Trucks
Downtown La Junta
11 AM - 5 PM
Tarantula Fest Activities
Downtown La Junta
- La Junta FFA Cornhole Tournament (sign up at 11 AM)
- Hairy Leg Contest | Sponsored By: County Commissioner Rob Oquist
- 8 legged races | Sponsored By: Ayala Wealth Management
Noon - 5 PM
Beer Garden
Live Well Park – Third & Santa Fe
2 PM
Koshare Dancers
Koshare Museum – 18th & Colorado
5 PM - 8 PM
Tarantula Fest Bus Tours
Thyme Square, 302 Colorado
5 PM - 7 PM
Chuck Wagon Dinner
Otero Museum – 3rd & Anderson
8 PM
La Junta Tiger Stadium - 18th & Smithland
Pre-festivities begin at 8 PM. Drones take flight at 9 PM
Experience La Junta's Annual Tarantula Fest
Photography from © Scene in the Wild Photography
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Tarantula Fest Platinum Spiderships
Discover the Tarantula Trek
Each fall, large numbers of tarantulas skitter across the landscape in La Junta and southeast Colorado.
While this phenomenon has traditionally been called a migration, it is actually an annual mating ritual performed by male tarantulas who roam across the 443,000-plus acres on the Comanche National Grassland looking to mate.
For a chance to observe such extraordinary natural behavior and be a part of a truly exceptional adventure, Visit the Tarantula Trek for more information!