Stopping by a deli for lunch, playing games, looking at art, watching a puppet show, hearing a band, visiting a petting zoo and getting your face painted may all sound like activities you pay to do at any local fair.

But from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. this Saturday at the Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building, visitors can do all of these things for free -- if they want to do all of them with bugs.

The 10th annual Great Insect Fair will allow area residents of all ages to participate in these activities as well as additional demonstrations and programs.

The fair, which focuses on "Insects in Art" this year, will feature music, food and educational activities.

Steve Jacobs, senior extension associate for the entomology department, said the fair is something the department does to encourage young people to get interested in the biological sciences as well as insects.

"People see an insect and immediately grab a Raid can," he said.

"We want people to see [insects] as amazing creatures."

Senior Extension Associate Maryann Frazier, who will act as "Queen Bee" of the fair, said the goal of the fair is to highlight the "wonderful diversity" and "fascinating biology" of various species of insects.

The numerous arts at this year's program will include caterpillar jewelry, insect artists and vendors and a station for kids to decorate their own T-shirts and puppets.

The fair will also offer the Ladybug Theater, where students from the State College School District will perform choreographed poetry.

Local elementary school students will put on a show, and later in the day Faith Kuehn from the Delaware Department of Agriculture will give a speech about insects in art, with an emphasis on jewelry creation involving insects.

Photographers attending the show are invited to submit their best insect photos.

The band Caterpillars of Society will return this year to play both new and familiar songs about insects.

The fair is not just for those who love bugs, Jacobs said. In the past, those with other motives have visited the events as well. One activity that has been known to attract a crowd is the cricket-spitting contest, where participants compete to see how far they can spit frozen crickets.

"That usually brings in people with sort of a morbid curiosity," Jacobs said.

The Insect Deli will be serving classic insect dishes such as "Chocolate Chirpies" and stir-fried mealworms for guests to snack on.

Students in the Global Food Systems course in the College of Health and Human Development will manage the deli and provide information about nutrition.

For the squeamish, more traditional foods will be served as well.

"The deli is always a crowd-pleaser," Jacobs said. "Believe it or not, there's usually a line.

"We can't hand the food out fast enough, apparently."

In addition, educational activities will take place throughout the day.

The Bug Doctor will answer audience questions.

The interactive Integrated Pest Management Bug Mobile (a modified Volkswagen Beetle) will teach children about insects.

The Frost Entomological Museum will be showing an exhibit about insect biodiversity, and the Mysterious Miss Quito display will provide information about mosquitoes and West Nile virus. An exhibit about cockroaches around the world will showcase nearly 15 species.

Frazier said kids will be able to learn about "the athletic capabilities of insects," in the four events of the Insect Olympics.

Cockroach racing will demonstrate the critters' great speed, which anyone can see by turning on the light in a room where the bugs live.

In the "Jumping Jamboree," kids will measure the jumping abilities of various insects and themselves, and then look at the results proportionally to see how the humans' ability pales in comparison. Other activities include "Squirm the Worm" and the "Dungball Roller Derby," in which children can roll a ball with their legs while riding a skateboard, mimicking those insects that roll their own dung balls.

There will be an art exhibit in the gallery at the HUB Gallery Lounge after the afternoon's events.

With more than 5,000 people expected to attend -- 500 more than last year's turnout -- there is a need for volunteers. Those interested in volunteering should contact Frazier at mxt15@psu.edu.

--Heather Cook contributed to this article.