Desert Museum celebrates winged creatures

The Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum will celebrate winged creatures and the Year of the Bat during the Festival of Flight beginning Friday. 

The three-day event features raptors, bats, hummingbirds, insects and other flying critters. The Desert Museum will offer hands-on science exhibits,  arts and crafts, music and a tequila tasting.

"We're celebrating all things that fly from birds and flying insects to bats," said Linda Meschino, district service supervisor for the museum.

"We are giving people an opportunity to help us celebrate those things," she said.

Visitors can take an hour-long photography course at 10 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday, where they can learn useful techniques for shooting photos of animals in flight. Those who want to take the course can contact the museum's Art Institute.

"This is the first year of the event and we're hoping to see good crowds come out. We are trying to accomplish educating the public about all of these animals in the Sonoran Desert region," said Meschino.

For more information on the Festival of Flight, visit the Desert Museum's website or call 833-2702.

The Ironwood Terraces restaurant, the largest dining venue at the Desert Museum will be participating in the event by offering a special menu that highlights local and sustainable food.