In The NoCo

Visitors love the hairy, eight-legged stars of La Junta’s annual Tarantula Fest. Here's why

By In The NoCo,

Published September 24, 2025 at 5:35 AM MDT

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A male tarantula looks for a mate on the plains near La Junta, Colo. The tarantula mating season has become a tourist attraction for one Colorado town. — A male tarantula looks for a mate on the plains near La Junta, Colo., Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. The tarantula mating season has become a tourist attraction for one Colorado town.

Every fall in southeast Colorado, hordes of hairy, eight-legged creatures leave their burrows and roam the landscape in search of a mate.

The tarantula migration draws hundreds of curious spider-lovers to La Junta around this time each year. The town’s annual Tarantula Fest offers tarantula tours, a parade, and other events to celebrate these oversized arachnids.

Erin O'Toole talked with Colorado State University horticulture specialist Karim Gharbi to learn more about why people find tarantulas so fascinating. Karim just got back from his own visit to the La Junta area – and shared some tips on how to spot tarantulas if you go.

For more on Colorado creatures, check out a recent conversation with Karim Gharbi about how to protect your trees amid the spread of the emerald ash borer.

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In The NoCo

KUNC's In The NoCo is a daily slice of stories, news, people and issues. It's a window to the communities along the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The show brings context and insight to the stories of the day, often elevating unheard voices in the process. And because life in Northern Colorado is a balance of work and play, we celebrate the lighter side of things here, too.

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Erin O'Toole

As the host of KUNC’s news program and podcast In The NoCo, I work closely with our producers and reporters to bring context and diverse perspectives to the important issues of the day. Northern Colorado is such a diverse and growing region, brimming with history, culture, music, education, civic engagement, and amazing outdoor recreation. I love finding the stories and voices that reflect what makes NoCo such an extraordinary place to live.

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Brad Turner

Brad Turner is an executive producer in KUNC's newsroom. He manages the podcast team that makes In The NoCo, which also airs weekdays in Morning Edition and All Things Considered. His work as a podcaster and journalist has appeared on NPR's Weekend Edition, NPR Music, the PBS Newshour, Colorado Public Radio, MTV Online, the Denver Post, Boulder's Daily Camera, and the Longmont Times-Call.

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