{"id":92025,"date":"2021-07-11T06:22:13","date_gmt":"2021-07-11T12:22:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=92025"},"modified":"2026-03-18T09:31:35","modified_gmt":"2026-03-18T14:31:35","slug":"antelope-island-spider-fest-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/07\/11\/antelope-island-spider-fest-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"Antelope Island Spider Fest 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"FemaleFemale Western Spotted Orbweaver in her web next to the Great Salt Lake<\/span><\/p>\n

Every summer I look forward to photographing spiders on Antelope Island State Park. Starting in July the Western Spotted Orbweaver spiders become more noticeable.<\/p>\n

They can be easily found in their webs that drape from plants, shrubs, posts, poles, and practically everything that doesn’t move.<\/p>\n

\"MuleMule Deer doe with spiderwebs and a spider on her face<\/span><\/p>\n

Or does move in the case of this female Mule Deer that happened to walk through a web near the marina on the island which promptly got stuck on her face.<\/p>\n

While the Western Spotted Orbweaver spiders may be the most commonly noticed spiders on the island Banded Argiopes, Desert Orb Weavers, Cat-faced Spiders, Bold Jumping Spiders, Crab Spiders, Western Black Widows, Funnel Weaver\/Grass Spiders, Wolf Spiders, and more can also be found.<\/p>\n

The Antelope Island Spider Fest starts on August 2, 2021 and continues through August 7, 2021 this year. Activities include in-person Guided Spider Walks, Spider Crafts and activities, Spider Poetry, Scavenger Hunts, and an iNaturalist Observation and BioBlitz. Spider Fest T-shirts will be available for purchase at the State Park Gift Shop.<\/p>\n

Because of the pandemic most of the festival will be virtual again this year. The Guided Spider Walks are by pre-registration only. Click here<\/span><\/a> for information and to register.<\/p>\n

\"Antelope<\/a><\/p>\n

There will be a Spider Fest Photo Contest too. Submit your photos to jparsonsbernstein@utah.gov<\/a><\/span> by August 4th.<\/p>\n

I’m honored again to be one of the judges of the photo contest for 2021 so go ahead and hit us with your best shots! I can’t wait to see them all.<\/p>\n

\"WesternWestern Spotted Orbweaver female waiting in her web for prey<\/span><\/p>\n

Bookmark this page<\/span><\/a> to see updated Spider Fest activities or the Antelope Island Spider Fest 2021 Facebook page<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Spider Fest is great for learning about the spiders that inhabit Antelope Island and how beneficial they are in our environment.<\/p>\n

I hope to get out to the island soon to see and photograph the spiders myself!<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Western Spotted Orbweaver photos and here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my insect and spider galleries.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Antelope Island Spider Fest starts on August 2, 2021 and continues through August 7, 2021 this year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":172400,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[511,1022,26,1174],"tags":[11979,4004,11978,4070,2378,10243,5987,3901,10244,7486,5251,2381,2315,4293],"class_list":["post-92025","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-antelope-island-state-park","category-davis-county-utah","category-utah","category-western-spotted-orbweaver","tag-11979","tag-adult","tag-desert-island","tag-female","tag-neoscona-oaxacensis","tag-orbweaver","tag-orbweavers","tag-spider","tag-spider-fest","tag-spider-festival","tag-spider-web","tag-spiders","tag-summer-3","tag-western-spotted-orbweaver"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/western-spotted-orbweaver-and-web-mia-mcpherson-8398.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-nWh","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":59209,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/07\/27\/celebrate-the-spiders-of-antelope-island-spider-fest-on-august-3-2019\/","url_meta":{"origin":92025,"position":0},"title":"Celebrate The Spiders Of Antelope Island – Spider Fest On August 3, 2019","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"July 27, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Mark your calendars because there is a yearly Spider Festival on Antelope Island State Park and this year the festival is being held next Saturday on August 3, 2019.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Female Western Spotted Orbweaver with her prey, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, 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2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Antelope Island State Park's Spider Festival is just a few weeks away and the spiders and their webs are already making an appearance.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Dark Female Western Spotted Orbweaver, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/western-spotted-orbweaver-mia-mcpherson-4651.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/western-spotted-orbweaver-mia-mcpherson-4651.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Today is the day for SpiderFest on Antelope Island State Park, a celebration of the interesting spiders that live on the island.","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Female Western Spotted Orbweaver in her web, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/western-spotted-orbweaver-mia-mcpherson-8556.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/western-spotted-orbweaver-mia-mcpherson-8556.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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