There's A Lot to BEE Excited About at Parker's 10th Annual Honey Festival

Celebrate ten sweet years of the annual Town of Parker Honey Festival on Sunday, August 6 in O'Brien Park. From 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m., bee-enthusiasts and farmers' market attendees can enjoy this free community event while learning about the benefits of the honey bee to our environment, our bodies, and our community.

Over 15 bee-friendly exhibitors will provide educational information about pollinators and family-friendly activities to help celebrate and protect our tiny ecological heroes. Adults and kids alike can learn from local bee keepers, see hives, sample honey, create honeybee crafts, and take home beekeeping and gardening supplies.

Prospective new beekeepers can gather around the gazebo throughout the day for educational "Bee Talks" on topics including, Beekeeping: How To Get Involved, Beekeeping Equipment: What You Need, and The Importance of Pollinators. The winner of a beekeeping starter kit provided by Murdoch's will also be announced at the gazebo at 11:30 a.m.

Why celebrate these tiny creatures? Bees and other pollinators are critical to our agricultural and ecological communities. According to the USDA bees pollinate 75 percent of the fruits, nuts, and vegetables grown in the United States. Unfortunately, our mightiest pollinators are also some of our most vulnerable: beekeepers across the United States lost 44 percent of their honey bee colonies between April 2015 and April 2016 due to factors including habitat loss, pathogens, and pesticides. Thankfully, protecting your local honey bee population can be as simple as planting native wildflowers, keeping bee hives responsibly, and supporting your local beekeepers.

In 2015 the Town of Parker joined forces with 19 other Colorado municipalities to allow and promote urban beekeeping by adopting a new town ordinance. Those interested in keeping their own apiary should review the official ordinance at http://parkeronline.org/beekeeping in order to "bee" a good neighbor-to both honey bees and humans.

For more information on the Honey Festival, our 2017 exhibitors, and our sponsors visit http://parkerarts.org/Honey-Festival or email PACEedu@parkeronline.org.

ABOUT PARKER ARTS
PARKER ARTS encompasses the many facilities and events that the Town of Parker's Cultural Department oversees, including a wide variety of local, regional, national and international cultural, arts, scientific and educational programming and rentals. The PACE Center is home to a 536-seat theater, 250-seat amphitheater, Bellco art gallery, event room, dance studio, culinary kitchen, and several classrooms. The historic Schoolhouse on Mainstreet houses a cozy 200-seat theater, small art gallery, gym, and vintage classrooms. The century-old Ruth Memorial Chapel is on the National Register of Historic Places, and is the perfect setting for small wedding, church groups or quiet meetings. Discovery Park, located next to Parker's library, the park and plaza on Mainstreet and Pine Drive is a unique destination. With interactive fountains in the summer, a vibrant ice trail in the winter, and performances and events throughout the year, the new 1.5 acre park promises to be a four season community gathering place. For more information about Parker Arts, visit www.ParkerArts.org.

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