GREENFIELD — Downtown was buzzing with activity on Saturday as hundreds descended upon Court Square and the lawn in front of the Second Congregational Church for the 16th annual Bee Fest.
With sunshine, warm weather, and more than 45 volunteers, founder and organizer Sandy Thomas said it was a perfect day to learn about the bees.
“The whole part that we do is education in a fun way. Its’s intergenerational and we have all the little kids wearing their costumes and they’re learning about bees and not to be afraid of them,” Thomas said. “They understand then connection between food and bees and that we have to protect them.”
Attendees got to peruse various bee-themed games and activities, such as hive painting, and watching live bees mill around a hive brought by the Franklin County Beekeepers Association, as well as enjoying the offerings of the Greenfield Farmers Market. Thomas said that this year’s festivities were even bigger, expanding to Energy Park for the first time thanks to the efforts of the Greenfield Business Association.
“The businesses are stepping up big time. They usually always help, but this time, it’s big,” Thomas said. “The whole town is buzzing.”
Brittany Hathaway, a member of the business association Board of Directors and the marketing director for PV Squared Solar said the business association was excited to take charge in the expansion of Bee Fest, which carried over to Energy Park for the first time this year.
“It’s one of the most celebratory intersections of the history and future of our town,” Hathaway said.
Bee Fest is held annually to celebrate Lorenzo Langstroth, the “Father of Modern Beekeeping,” the sixth pastor of the Second Congregational Church, who invented the movable frame beehive. Dr. Kim Skyrm, Chief Apiary Inspector with the Massachusetts Department of Agriculture said that Bee Fest is a great, fun, community event, and educates people about the importance of bees.
“Events like Bee Fest remind us that this work is about much more than the bees alone — it’s about people, education, connection and preserving the rich agricultural history that makes communities like this so special, Skrym said. “Bees play an essential role in our food supply, gardens, farms and ecosystems, but they also have an incredible way of bringing people together. It’s wonderful to see Bee Fest continue to grow, and I think that says a lot about this community and the passion for supporting pollinators and local agriculture.
Beekeeper Crystal Brunton brought her daughter, Melody, to the festivities to teach her about the importance of the bees, and the local historical connection to the modern practice of beekeeping.
“I’ve always wanted to be a beekeeper since I was a teenager and this is my third year beekeeping. My daughter’s here and I’m just sharing my love of bees with her and showing that the history of the bee boxes stems from her in Greenfield with our father of beekeeping.”
Festivities also included the unveiling of a new bee statue. Bee engineer Rachael Katz said that this year, she and Lahri Bond, who painted the statue, opted to make a second Celtic Bee statue. The previous one, which had been displayed at the intersection of Miles and Main Streets had fallen from its perch and sustained damage a few years ago.
Bond said the bee, which is covered in Celtic knots, represents the Celtic traditions of “telling the bees.”
“Whenever a significant life event happens within a beekeepers life you go and tell the hives and the bees. So if a new baby is born, if somebody passes away, or somebody gets married you would tell the bees,” Bond said. ‘It is thought that if you don’t tell the bees, they will stop producing, and this has been true in many cases. So the tradition continues to this day.”
The new Celtic Bee with be placed at Court Square, across from City Hall.
Festivities at Court Square and the Second Congregational Church ended with the pollinator parade, which led attendees over to Energy Park for more music, activities and food trucks.
