A Quirky Festival Celebrates Tarantula Mates in La Junta, Colorado
Every autumn, as the sun sets over the plains of Colorado, something curious creeps to life—it's mating season for the state’s curious tarantulas. Each year, the small town of La Junta transforms from sleepy farmland to the center of arachnid fascination, as spider enthusiasts gather for the annual Tarantula Festival.
This year, the festival attracted visitors from all walks of life. Enthusiasts, families, and scientists braved the cool evening air last weekend, eager to witness one of nature's more bizarre spectacles: male tarantulas trailing from their burrows, searching for mates. Flashlights and car headlights swept the grassy terrain, illuminating the oversized spiders as they ventured forth.
A woman who attended this year's event excitedly articulated the atmosphere: "Tarantulas have their time to shine, and the excitement is contagious!"
Indeed, the vibrant festival atmosphere included creative displays and contests. Festival-goers participated in oddly entertaining competitions, including one for the hairiest legs, deciding who could sport the boldest (or perhaps most humorous) display of body hair.
Vintage cars decked with large, fake spider decorations cruised through the town, turning heads and earning chuckles from onlookers, showcasing just how much fun folks had embracing these eight-legged creatures.
La Junta’s Tarantula Festival also screened the 1990 cult film Arachnophobia, delighting viewers with its comic yet tense tribute to our oft-misunderstood spider friends. This year marked the third annual gathering celebrating the world of tarantulas.
Often, tarantulas are unfairly shrouded in fear and loathing, thanks to their larger-than-life portrayals on screen. Yet, for residents of La Junta, these eight-legged denizens are viewed as integral parts of their ecosystem. Nathan Villareal—a tarantula breeder who traveled from Santa Monica, California—underscored this sentiment, saying, "We saw at least a dozen tarantulas on the road, and when we went back afterwards, we saw another dozen more."
Tarantulas, particularly the hardy Colorado Brown species, thrive around La Junta. These spiders dig their homes deep beneath the untouched prairies of the Comanche National Grassland, working their way to the surface each fall to mate. Their fuzzy bodies emerge as they crawl toward the silk-marked burrows of their female counterparts.
According to Cara Shillington, a biology professor at Eastern Michigan University, male tarantulas reach maturity after about seven years, only to live mere months afterwards. Females, on the other hand, can live for decades. "These males don’t mess around," Shillington explains, "They drum on the outside of the female’s burrow using specialized appendages to announce their presence. It’s as if they’re knocking on her door, asking to come inside!"
The moment of courtship is brief, as survival instincts kick in. Once mating occurs, the male’s priority shifts from romance to escape—he often has to flee quickly or risk becoming the meal for the typically larger female. A survival tactic, it occurs all too often among these creatures. Many festival attendees learned from experts like Shillington, who passionately hope to dispel the fears surrounding spiders and showcase their gentle nature.
At the festival, young Roslyn Gonzales shared her excitement to hunt for tarantulas with her family: "I can’t wait to see them up close and learn more about them!"
Among the unique characters at the festival this year was graduate student Goran Shikak from the University of Colorado Denver. With several spider tattoos adorning his arms, Shikak expressed his love for the creatures. "They’re beautiful creatures. Getting to watch them do what they do is incredible. It’s worth watching them thrive and flourish out there on their own."
This celebration of love and life among the tarantula population not only enchanted its attendees but also drew curiosity from people who may not otherwise have visited the quiet farming town, fostering community spirit. Residents expressed joy at meeting out-of-towners who traveled to partake in the vibrant festivities, noting how the Tarantula Festival has blossomed over the years.
With each passing year, La Junta anticipates the return of both tarantulas and the spider-loving crowd, reinforcing the belief: There’s beauty even among the creepy-crawlies. So, as the sunset tinted the Colorado skies, the town basked not only in autumn’s splendor but also the uniqueness of tarantulas seeking love—and perhaps, just maybe, winning over some new admirers.
