For years, my folks made the long drive from the Finger Lakes region of New York to take in the thrills and chills of the Fryeburg Fair in Maine. Dating from 1851, the fair is a major attraction for western Maine, with up to 300,000 attendees. Having grown up on a small hill farm, Dad loved the old steam-powered farm machines and the pulling contests among giant draft horses, like the famous Percherons and Clydesdales. The foliage of early October was a bonus for the trip.
If they had known of it, I suspect my folks might have alternated their trips with a small-town festival in Vermillion, Ohio. For more than 50 years, the good folks in Vermillion have celebrated an insect, specifically the woolly bear caterpillar. The handsome little fellows are the larval stage of the Isabella tiger moth, Pyrrharctia isabella. A relatively harmless caterpillar, the woolly bears always appear in the autumn, going about their business in readiness for a long winter’s nap.
You might snicker about a festival in honor of a caterpillar, but the folks in Vermillion take it seriously. There is a big parade, rock music, woolly bear races, costume competitions, and myriad arts and crafts that draw crowds exceeding 100,000. This has been going on for 52 years, so book your trip for October 2026 to catch the 53rd edition. Alternatively, you might travel to Banner Elk, North Carolina, or Beattyville, Kentucky; Oil City, Pennsylvania, or Little Valley, New York, for similar but less prestigious events.
The woolly bear caterpillar is one of those tiny creatures that everyone recognizes but pays little attention unless it is crawling up your door frame, as one did last week at our house. Yet the insect has long had an outsized reputation as a skilled weather forecaster. The theory has been that the larger and darker the brown band on the caterpillar, the harsher will be the coming months. Some folks also swear that a caterpillar crawling in a southerly direction is a powerful portent of a long, cold winter.
If you are the sort to plan your farm work or vacations based upon the Farmer’s Almanac, or to hang upon the weather forecasts of a certain groundhog in Pennsylvania, far be it from me to discourage you. I am more inclined to keep an eye on migration patterns of waterfowl and other creatures, but we all have our little superstitions. At least we can agree that the woolly bear is an attractive little guy whose autumn appearance reminds us that it is time to get our houses buttoned up for winter.
Woolly bears and the adult Isabella tiger moths can be found widely across the U.S. and Canada. The caterpillars are generalist feeders, so they can munch on just about any green plant for nutrients. The moths are a light orange to yellow color with reddish legs and a few small dark spots on their wings. They were first named by the amateur naturalist James Edward Smith in 1797.
The caterpillars spend the winter tucked in a quiet spot in hopes of surviving until spring. Thanks to the production of glycerol, a natural antifreeze material, the caterpillars can survive being frozen for months, with essentially no metabolic activity, until they finally thaw out. After spring feeding, the caterpillar spins a cocoon of hair and silk, pupating inside to emerge as the adult moth. The moths are short-lived, existing long enough to breed and lay their eggs, beginning the cycle of life again.
Unlike the troublesome brown-tailed moth larva that cause so much suffering for some people, the woolly bear does not produce venom and generally does not trigger allergic reactions. However, for people who are prone to skin irritations or dermatitis, it is better not to handle the caterpillars, which have sharp hairs, unless you are into caterpillar racing. Perhaps it is better to enjoy watching the little creatures make their way and avoid crushing them underfoot.
When researching unusual creatures, I often am amazed at the depth of support among humans. There appear to be numerous woolly bear fan clubs and, of course, Facebook groups to discuss the relevance of the bear’s bands. On Amazon you can find all kinds of cool products, including books, plush toys and T-shirts. You can even buy a water bottle that says, “I brake for woolly bears!” I have to get me one of those…
