The Great Valley Museum is holding the sixth annual Wild Planet Day family science festival on Saturday, Sept. 24, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Science Community Center on the Modesto Junior College West Campus, 2201 Blue Gum Ave., Modesto. Admission for the day is $8 per person and $20 for a family of up to six people. Children four years and under are free.

This fun-filled fest will feature hands-on science activities for all ages, including squid dissection, rock painting, scientist selfies, build-a-bat box and other “bat” activities and more.

There will also be appearances throughout the day by “Woodsy Owl,” “McGruff the Crime Dog” and “The Black Widow Lady.” Sun telescopes will be available on the rooftop observatory, 3-D printing demonstrations will be offered.

Planetarium star shows will be offered for an additional $5 per person, and there will also be food for sale and a variety of booths provided by campus and local organizations.

The event is a fundraiser for the Great Valley Museum, a non-profit foundation dedicated to providing science and natural history information to adults and children of all ages through classes, programs and exhibits. The museum serves the families of Stanislaus, San Joaquin, and surrounding counties.

For more information on the Wild Planet Day science festival. call (209) 575-6196. Additional information on ticket purchase and on the Great Valley Museum is available at www.mjc.edu/gvm and at www.facebook.com/GreatValleyMuseum.

Community organizations participating in this event include Northern California Bats, National Ag Science Center (Ag in Motion Trailer), Enochs High School CSI group, Tuolumne River Trust, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Modesto Irrigation District, and Stanislaus Audubon Club.