Saturday, October 3rd
9AM - 5PM
Free Classes & Demos
The entire idea behind our Honey Harvest Festival is to share beekeeping with the community. We hope that everyone attending the festival leaves with a deeper appreciation for these amazing little creatures. If you’d like to learn more about becoming a beekeeper, caring for bees, inviting them to your yard or garden, or just want to talk about honey, there’s something for everyone on our schedule.
All classes and demonstrations are free. No registration is required, but seating is limited. Classes will be held in our seasonal greenhouses at the end of the parking lot.
11:00 AM - The WNY Wildway: Building a Regional Hive Mind for Habitat, Marcus Rosten
The choices we make on our own land can influence how wildlife moves across an entire region. From backyard gardens to working farms and forests, every piece of land can play a role in creating a healthier, more connected landscape. Marcus Rosten, Director of the WNY Wildway at the Western New York Land Conservancy, will share how the WNY Wildway is working to connect and protect wildlife habitat across Western New York, and how landscape-scale conservation can be strengthened by the actions we take at home. Discover ways landowners can support native wildlife, improve habitat, and strengthen ecological connections, whether they care for a small backyard or hundreds of acres. Together, we’ll think beyond the hive and explore how individual actions can contribute to the broader web of habitats, species, and communities that make a resilient landscape possible.
1:00 PM - Beekeeping 101, Erin Holko
Have you ever wondered what it takes to be a beekeeper? Join Erin for a chat about the most frequently asked questions and see if this fun hobby might be right for you! We’ll cover start-up costs, where to source materials, and lots more.
2:00 PM - Bringing Nature to Your Backyard, Dan Masterson & Erin Holko
A backyard habitat is more than just a pretty garden, it is a multitude of entangled ecosystems that work together to support a healthy planet. Making small changes in the way you maintain and interact with your yard can have a much larger impact on your local environment. Join Dan and Erin as they help simplify this idea and give you lots of practical advice for creating your own backyard wildlife habitat. We are confident that you will leave this talk feeling empowered to turn your yard into something special!
Ongoing Demonstrations
Honey Extracting
See how honey gets from the bee box to the jar, and the sticky steps along the way! We’ll have beekeepers from our Community Apiary on hand throughout the event demonstrating this and answering all of your bee questions. This will take place in our aquatic greenhouse, directly behind the store.
Candle Making
It wouldn’t be a bee festival without beeswax candles! There will be candle making demonstrations throughout the day, showing you the process of cleaning the wax through pouring the candles. We’ll even have candles made from our beeswax available for purchase.
Mead & Beer Tasting
Visit the mead vendors and brewers to sample their delightful craft brews. Check out the Vendor Page to see who’ll be here!
Alpaca Viewing
Thistle Creek Alpacas will be here hanging out with us for the day. Come say hello to these sweet mamas and babies!