GREENFIELD — “Bee” careful and “bee” aware if you’re wandering down Main Street Saturday. You just may come upon painted “bees in the trees” along the street or the “bee kindness” stones hidden around the Common to spread happiness.
They’re all the work of Federal Street School pupils hoping to “bee creative” for this year’s ninth annual Bee Fest Saturday.
“Everybody’s creativity really came out on this,” said second-grade teacher Julie Kimball.
Kimball worked with other Federal Street staff to involve every grade in the K-4 school in painting the 200 rocks, making about 100 “bees in trees” and sharing on posters, cards, drawings and other expressions what they’ve learned about bees.
The town where the recently popularized hobby of beekeeping first took flight in the 19th century will be swarming with activity from a “Bee Creative” bee-related art show at the Pushkin Gallery to the “Taste of Honey” brunch from 8 a.m. to noon at Hawks & Reed. There will be short talks, including a “Langstroth Lecture” by University of Massachusetts pastry chef Pamela Adams on how to cook and bake with honey.
All of the events are free and in honor of L. L. Langstroth, known as “the father of modern beekeeping.” Langstroth served as pastor of Greenfield’s Second Congregational Church from 1840 to 1848. He brought a stock of bees in a hollow log when he arrived and later patented his design for a moveable-frame hive. He wrote “Langstroth on the Hive and the Honey-bee,” the Greenfield-published manual that became the bible of beekeeping.
“It’s exciting to see this grow,” said event originator Sandra Thomas, who expects the crowd to exceed last year’s 500 to 600 attendees because of the active participation of the elementary school.
“Our goal has always been to engage the public in a dialogue about bees,” she said. “And we want them to have fun. The bees are in crisis, and it’s scary for people if we don’t have our food pollinated. It’s pretty important that we protect our bees. And we need to make sure that children aren’t afraid of bees, but that they actually embrace them, and get this environmental message deep in their souls early on.”
The art show, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., will include bee-inspired paintings, metal sculptures, pottery, fabric art and more. Some items at the art show are for sale. Others, like the bee drawings and bee poetry created by Federal Street Elementary School pupils, are simply to spread joy.
From 9:30 to 11:30, there’ll be a children’s Honey Bee Tea Party, with the making of bee wands and queen bee crowns, as well as bee games, face painting and a “photo op” bee, with a bee piñata and Magpie honey pie samples. There will be a “pollinators parade” of children dressed as honeybees, butterflies and flowers through the Greenfield Farmers Market.
Desiree Gracie, the Massachusetts Honey Queen — who knew the Bay State actually has a honey queen? — will be on hand with information from the Massachusetts Bee Association, and beginning at 10 a.m., Dan Conlon of Warm Colors Apiary will offer an update on the plight of the bee population along with state Agricultural Resources Commissioner John Lebeaux.
Outgoing state Rep. Stephen Kulik will present three “Bee Space” Garden Awards for pollinator-friendly gardens around the county.
In the Second Congregational lobby, a permanent exhibit honoring Langstroth will be open for visitors to examine archival photographs, a copy of “The Hive and Honey-bee” — which is now in its 40th printing — and more. Outside, there’s a granite Langstroth monument, installed in 1947, which has gotten a recent facelift.
There will also be a bee hive, brought by the Franklin County Beekeepers Association, along with local bee experts to answer questions.
“Our congregation feels a special calling to provide timely and relevant information about bees,” said Thomas, who co-chairs the event with Sue Weeks. “Bees provide one in every three bites of food, so we need to keep them healthy. Plus, we have fun dancing with kids in bee costumes.”
Several Greenfield restaurants with the Bee Fest logo in their windows will feature honey-made recipes on the menu.
Although the event is free, Bee Fest raises money to support the effort by Just Roots community farm to feed hungry people locally. The event also supports Heifer Project International through Saturday’s raffle of bee-themed products valued at more than $1,500. The prizes were donated by artists and companies across the country and will be presented in gift baskets created by Weeks. There’s also a silent auction for some prizes.
Bee Fest, which also includes a 208th birthday cake for Langstroth, will be followed by Pints in the Park from noon to 6 p.m. at the Greenfield Energy Park. From 4 to 6:30 p.m., Green Fields Market will feature a discussion by Tom Sullivan of Pollinators Welcome on how to help native bees thrive in the landscape.