SHELBY — The second annual Shel-BEE Festival will buzz into action Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Black Fork Commons. The event is hosted by The Shelby Downtown Business Team and The Richland Area Beekeepers.
The event will include a silent auction, craft and food vendors, bounce houses, face painting, live music, a honey judging contest and educational opportunities for all ages.
“Last year was a great turnout with lots of smiling faces on both the kids and parents faces,” said Aaron Billheimer, a Shelby beekeeper and the county’s deputy apiarist.
The live music lineup includes Buckboard Boogie at 11:30, Tyler Boggs at 1:30 and Southern Rail at 3:30 p.m.
A wide ranging vendor list will have something for every shopper, including clothing, plants, candles, art, baked goods, jewelry, self-care items, home and garden decor and more.
The Kiwanis will be handing out pollinator plants for children.
The event will also feature educational talks on bees and beekeeping.
Hager Hicks of the Richland Area Beekeepers will give a “Bee 101” talk at noon, followed by a talk on beekeeping equipment from Denzil St. Claire, the owner of Queen Rite Colonies in Spencer, Ohio.
Jerry Hayes, editor of Bee Culture magazine, will give a 2 p.m. talk on the value of honey bees. Barb Bloetscher, former apiary inspector for the Ohio Department of Agriculture, will speak about bee health and colony development at 3 p.m.
While not officially part of the festival, the VFW will be having a honey wine tasting in their event center during the festival hours.
For more information, check out the Shel–BEE Festival Facebook page.
