Microbe Fest

About this Event

A day of family learning opportunities about the many tiny living beings we often do not see and how important they are to all of our lives.

Microbe Fest comes from the mind of community organizer and long-time Kansas City proponent for environmental education, Marty Kraft of the All Species Project. The purpose of the event is to facilitate a deeper understanding of microbial life forms and the roles they play in our world. Multiple engagement sessions are being held through April to develop this event with the local community. In collaboration with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Flying Heart Theatre, Sankara Farms, Wyandotte County community members and local musicians, KC Farm School at Gibbs Road will host this event, which includes…

Plant Sale: Folks can pick up plants and learn about how to integrate them around their homes. Plants will be available for sale on a pay-what-you’re-able basis, so that access is provided for all those wishing to garden. 

Craft Space: Recycled and biodegradable materials will be provided along with guidance by artists on how to create puppets, costumes and musical instruments. Afterwards, crafters are invited to use their creations and participate in the play scheduled as the finale of the festival.

Science Stations: Hands and brains-on environmental learning activities designed by regional wildlife professionals will be on-site to engage children and their adults in soil and ecological science.

Nature’s Intelligence and Imagination Giant Puppet Play: This participatory performance will show how all the bacteria and many microbes on and below the surfaces of our lives cast light provided we have ways to see them. Through music, costumes and puppets made by artists and fest-goers of all ages, young people and their families will engage with the story and make connections to their everyday lives.

Spreading Life Parade: The day’s events will close with a musical march around the farm with everyone in attendance invited to join in. Rich soil full of healthy microbial life from KC Farm School’s Johnson-Su bioreactors will be broadcast by participants to invest in the future growth of a new native plant garden on the farm.