Honeybees are vital pollinators and the only insects that produce a food consumed by humans. In the US, they contribute over 15 billion annually to crop values.
To celebrate and support these busy little creatures, the annual Honeybee Festival is set to take place this Saturday May 30, in LaFayette, Georgia.
Festival Chairman Jim Powell said they started the festival, which remains free and open to the public, back in 2017 to raise awareness about the importance of honeybees.
Powell said the honeybee population was dwindling and the community wanted to do something about it. “We wanted to create some interest in something that had a need and we felt like the honeybees were something to focus on.”
Powell noted LaFayette is home to the Pigeon Mountain Trading Company. Founded by the owner's love of bees, the store provides new and experienced beekeepers with top quality products, including live bees, hives, and educational resources.
Festival goers can expect a full day of live music across multiple stages, dozens of food vendors and hundreds of arts and craft vendors. There is a honeybee pageant, a classic car show, a BBQ competition, and a honeybee education pavilion.
“We have 190 vendors. There are no retail stores. They have all handmade crafts or food. We won the Main Street Award for the state of Georgia a few years ago for the best festival. And we just won the best of the best out of Chattanooga,” Powell said. "Guests can get a hands-on pollinator education and learn how honeybees are essential to life on our planet. It has become quite a festival, and it is all free. That is the wonderful thing. There is no admission. We have a huge kids’ zone, and everything is free. The concerts are free. You do not have to spend any money unless you want to buy something from a vendor.”
When asked about the musical performers Powell said he is excited to see LaFayette native Channing Wilson. Wilson finished as the runner-up on CBS's The Road, the music competition docuseries executive-produced by Taylor Sheridan and Blake Shelton. The singer just signed a record deal with 101 Music, distributed by Thirty Tigers.
“His music was just featured on that new show The Marshalls,” Powell said. “It was on this season’s last episode. They played his whole song. He is local. He has been here for years. He is from here and went to school here.”
The opening sets include Shane Profitt, an up-and-coming young country artist from Columbia, TN. Another Northwest Georgia native, Robby Hopkins will also perform on stage. Hopkins is a NASH Next Regional Winner who has opened for Travis Tritt, Alan Jackson, and Miranda Lambert, among many others.
The headline performance features the Band Perry. They have six number one singles, a Grammy Award, and have sold-out tours around the world.
The music starts at 5 p.m. and goes on until 11 p.m.
Powell said the event takes place across the city’s Main Street. “Everything branches off of Main and it's very walkable,” he said. “It’s easy to get in and there's lots of parking around and it's all well marked.”
Powell said it’s an exciting time to visit Lafayette. Powell is the former Director for the Downtown Development Authority and said the entire city is undergoing revitalization.
The historic Mars Theater has been restored. The city recently announced on their Facebook Page that the Honeybee Festival marks the grand opening of Traverse Park. The park features a disc golf course, an all-wheels park, an inclusive playground, and a rock-climbing area anchored by a 30-foot climbing structure alongside rock boulders, a riverwalk connections, and a pier/walkway overlook.
In keeping with their love of honeybees the city is creating a pollinator trail system. It is a paved path system connecting West and East LaFayette, offering scenic wooded greenway sections for the community to enjoy.
Powell said the festival has helped increase honeybee awareness. “The honeybee population doing good and it's beginning to thrive again. But it is important to continue to bring a lot of awareness and education to the public,” he said. “People have forgotten about them and they are so busy. When they tend to their lawns, they will spray grass killers instead of pulling the weeds. That harms the honeybees.”
He said the folks in LaFayette have embraced the honeybees and many in the community have their own bee hives. He said visitors can expect a day full of fun activities, rain, or shine.
Honeybee Festival
- Saturday, May 30, From 9 a.m. until 11 p.m.
- Main Street, LaFayette, GA.
- Free
- mycityoflafayettega.org/community/honeybee_festival/