(LA JUNTA, Colo.) — The tarantula mating season has arrived in the Comanche National Grassland, home to Colorado brown tarantulas. La Junta's third annual Tarantula Fest creeps up on Friday, Sept. 27, through Saturday, Sept. 28. The festival will feature a parade, vendors, an education pavilion, tarantula tours, live art, and more. Food will be provided by local food trucks, and a beer garden will provide refreshments. Razor-averse contestants can show off their own spider legs during the Hairy Leg Contest, and kids can get their faces painted with arachnid-themed art. The Fox Theater will be featuring the movie Arachnophobia on Friday afternoon, and visitors can end the evening on Saturday with the Chuckwagon Dinner. For those who want to go out to view the tarantulas, the Forest Service asks that visitors pay attention to safety for themselves, drivers, and the spiders. Increased traffic is expected on Forest Service and county roads. Visitors should park in designated areas and watch for crossing tarantulas and people. Plan ahead to stay safe, as hunting season is underway. Courtesy: USDA Forest Service Courtesy: FOX21 News File Photo Male tarantulas, up to 2 inches long with a 5-inch leg span, can travel 20 miles in search of mates. Females, which mature between 8-10 years, can live over 20 years. Males typically die shortly after migration due to predators or vehicle collisions. RELATED STORY: Tarantulas to start their mating journey end of August “The Comanche National Grassland welcomes you to come view the tarantulas and enjoy the grassland,” said Chandra Ochoa, a customer service representative with the grassland. “Please leave no trace. Take photos from afar and give tarantulas space to be themselves in their natural habitat.”  Tarantulas may be large, but they pose little threat to humans. Avoid handling or disturbing them and their nests. Simply enjoy observing and photographing them during their annual search for a mate.