Dragon Festival is this Saturday!

Science, history and myth collide during the Dragon Festival on Saturday, October 19, 2019 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.! Explore the lore of dragons, the impact these creatures have had on societies across the globe, and the science behind the growth and dissemination of their myth! All of the sights and sounds that make the myth of dragons so alluring will be in full-force throughout the day!

EXPERIENCES INCLUDE...
Dragon Displays
Full-Size Dragon Sculpture
Fire Performances (11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m., and 5 p.m.)
Blacksmith Presentations
Vikings
Stilt Walkers (11 a.m. to 2 p.m.)
Sci-Fi and Fantasy Authors
Live Music
Beer Garden (11 a.m. to 6 p.m.)
Ren Faire Marketplace
Games, Crafts and Activities
Food Trucks
Special Presentations (see below)
Much, much more!

ADMISSION IS...

$10 for ages 19-59
$5 for ages 3-18
$5 for ages 60+
FREE for children under 3
FREE for museum members
FREE for members of ASTC Passport participating institutions

DRAGON FESTIVAL TAKES PLACE AT...

Virginia Museum of Natural History
21 Starling Avenue
Martinsville, VA 24112

SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS
**Schedule subject to change**

Anatomy of fictional dragons: A paleontologist’s look at great beasts of literature, movies, and more
Dr. Adam Pritchard, Assistant Curator of Paleontology, Virginia Museum of Natural History
10 - 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 - 2:00 p.m.

Researching to book: Finding your Dragon
Anna Denisch and Lydia Weltmann, Authors
10:45 - 11:15 a.m.

Ant lions, tiger beetles, and toad bugs: Fierce creatures with fantastical names
Dr. Joe Keiper, Executive Director, Virginia Museum of Natural History
11:30 a.m. – Noon

Dragons in Slavic Folklore
Dr. Martha Kuchar, Professor, Roanoke College Department of English & Communication Studies
12:15 - 12:45 p.m. and 1:45 - 2:15 p.m.

America’s Founding Monsters
Dr. Bernard Means, Faculty, Virginia Commonwealth University Department of Anthropology
1 - 1:30 p.m. and 4 - 4:30 p.m.

Lepidodragons!
Dr. DorothyBelle Poli, Professor, Roanoke College Department of Biology
Dr. Lisa Stoneman, Professor, Roanoke College Department of Education
2:30 - 3 p.m.

Dungeons and Dragons: The Zooarchaeology of Dragons
Sarah Mangelsdorf Grimm
3:15 - 3:45 p.m. and 4:45 - 5:15 p.m.