This Cincinnati Festival Debunks Myths About Bats

Bats are a frequent symbol of the Halloween season, with their leathery wings and eerie cry, but that association has also fueled fallacies about the often-misunderstood mammal. October brings not only Halloween but Bat Appreciation Month, so experts from the University of Cincinnati use the occasion to change people’s perceptions. 

The fourth annual Ohio Bat Fest at Cincinnati’s Maple Ridge Lodge in on Oct. 25 from noon to 5 p.m. also coincides with Bat Week, a nationwide celebration of these winged creatures. The event, which features University of Cincinnati bat experts Joe Johnson and Missy Meierhofer, combines science with wildlife conservation and research to teach attendees about bats and how to protect them in the Midwest. 

Meierhofer will share her expertise in bat-tracking technology, while Johnson’s work and research emphasizes the importance of bats to local ecosystems and focuses on the fight against white-nose syndrome, a disease that has severely affected bat populations. 

“I want to reach as many people as possible, to get them excited not just about bats, but about science,” Johnson said in an Oct. 9, 2025, press release. “This festival is a chance to see how technology and conservation come together.”

Booths from local and state organizations including the Ohio Department of Wildlife, the Ohio Bat Working Group and Great Parks of Hamilton County, as well as local wildlife rehabilitators, are part of the event event. Kids are welcome to get in on the fun too and can expect activities such as bat-themed crafts like coloring and paper bat-making as well as the chance to explore a miniature cave and hunt for small bats (don’t worry parents, the bats are not real.)

Adults can take part in a telemetry scavenger hunt to test their skills at using tracking equipment to find a faux bat that is transmitting signals, with participants experiencing the same process researchers use to locate real bats out in the wild.

“Bats are often misunderstood,” Meierhofer said in the Oct. 9, 2025, release. “But when people see them up close and learn how vital they are to our ecosystems, their perception changes. That’s what this festival is about — replacing fear with fascination.” 

For more information about Ohio Bat Fest, visit ohiobatlab.com/ohiobatfest.

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