Slug Fest
June 27 - 28, 2026 9:30AM - 5:00PM
Free with admission or membership.
Slugs, slugs and more slugs!
It's the most unusual Northwest Festival ever - a celebration of slugs. Learn to see the world through a slug's perspective, craft and wear your own tentacles to become a slug, participate in human slug races, and more!
Why do we have this zaniest of festivals? Well, if you've ever hiked a Northwest forest, you'll know our slugs are among the biggest and best - especially the yellow-green banana slug. But they're also vital to our ecosystem, breaking down organic matter and returning it to the forest floor, where it becomes food for our beautiful plants and trees. Long live slugs!
Read the blogRemember - Wild Drive tours give you free admission to Slug Fest and core area animals, plus the chance to see elk, mountain goats and more from your air-conditioned car! Book now, spots limited.
Wild DriveHave you ever wanted to slip and slide like a slug? Guests come from all over to race in our slug races! Be sure to register 15 minutes before the start of the race at the Picnic Pavilion.
Race times: 11:30 am, 1:30 pm, and 3:30 pm.
Slug Fest Keeper Chats
| Activity | What You Can Do | Where & When |
|---|---|---|
| Banana Slug Keeper Chat | Learn all about this incredible decomposer in a Keeper Chat | 11 a.m. at the Cheney Discovery Center (Both days) |
| Grizzly Bear Keeper Chat | Watch our grizzly bear brothers and meet their keepers | 2 p.m. at Upper Grizzly viewing deck (Both days) |