Philadelphia Honey Festival buzzes into fall on September 7, 8 and 9 2018, at Glen Foerd on the Delaware, Wyck Historic House and Bartram’s Garden. This annual event, organized by the Philadelphia Beekeepers Guild, celebrates nine years and works to raise awareness about the importance of honey bees to the environment, the food supply and the economy, and to celebrate urban beekeeping and gardening. The three historic locations will each host one day of the festival, and offer visitors family-friendly activities that include open hive demonstrations, honey extractions, open hive talks, children’s activities, honey tastings, mead tastings, sales from local beekeepers, bee-bearding demonstration (by Don Shump, PBG president and owner The Philadelphia Bee Co.) and more. Each venue will also have additional local community activities to expand our usual offerings. New for 2018, look for the debut a Honey Home Brew Challenge and a Honey Festival Speaker Series. Entry to the festival venues, educational activities and demonstrations is free. For the schedule of events, visit phillyhoneyfest.com.

“Buzz-in and join us for the 2018 Philadelphia Honey Festival," said Kathy May, Beekeeper, Guild Member, and Honey Festival Organizer. "Honey Festival is a Philadelphia tradition that kicks off the fall season in our region. Everyone is back from the shore and its a beautiful time to get outside and celebrate nature. Come purchase your local Philadelphia honey and enjoy all the free family fun we have to offer at Bartram's Garden, Wyck Historic House and Glen Foerd on the Delaware. This festival really is the bees' knees - and we look forward to seeing you!"

Bartram’s Garden Executive Director Maitreyi Roy added, "Philadelphia Honey Fest is a fun family event, and it also shares the importance of stewarding our natural environment so we can ensure that our native bee population thrives."

Things will be buzzing during this year's Philadelphia Honey Festival with returning traditions as well as new programs. All three historic locations will offer visitors free family friendly activities for the three days of the festival. On top of the open hive demonstrations, honey extractions, open hive talks, tastings and more, look for two new additions in 2018.

This year, the Philadelphia Beekeepers Guild is pleased to offer an extensive Honey Festival 2018 Speaker Series with special guests at each location presenting talks appealing to the beekeeper and non-beekeeper alike. The schedule is as follows:

Friday September 7th

7:30pm- Dr. Poune Saberi – “The Difference Between Night & Day“; Increased nighttime illumination has disruptive consequences for all forms of life: plants and animals: pollinators and humans alike. Studies have shown that light pollution unravels the intertwined tapestry of day and night pollinators that it speeds up the circadian rhythm of birds and other city dwellers, like us! Dr. Saberi, M.D. from Physicians for Social Responsibility, explains in simple terms, the 2017 Nobel Prize-winning research into the Circadian Clock Gene.

Saturday, September 8, 2018

11:15am- Helena van Vliet - “Healthy City – Urban Habitat” Abundant wild nature in the city is good for us! With Helena (American Institute of Architects, BioPhilly founding member, Biophilic Cities steering committee), let’s explore the deep connection between human health and urban biodiversity. She will talk about building symbiotic relationships in and for the resilient biophilic city of the future.

1:00pm- Joshua Huff – “How 800 Hives Support the Huff Brothers’ Families” – Listen in as we interview Joshua, a Co-Owner of Huff’s Honey Farm to learn about the family’s incredible success.

3:00 pm -Doug Sponsler - “The Role of Bees (& Beekeepers) in an Urban Ecology” Doug, (Ph.D., Penn State University) is currently doing post-doctoral work here in Philadelphia.

Sunday, September 9, 2018

12:00pm – Sam Torres – “History of Apiculture: From Honey Hunters to Modern Beekeeping." In this presentation Sam (owner of Keystone Colonies Beekeeping) will talk about humans’ first encounters with honey bees and the transition into domestication. Attendees will get to see what it was like to keep bees as far back as Ancient Egypt all the way up to present day.

Sunday, 1:30pm Kim Douglas – “The Philly Pollinators’ Corridor” Kim, (Director of the Landscape Architecture Program at Philadelphia University) will provide updates and insights into the pollinator corridor right here in West Philadelphia.

Also new this year, look for the Honey Home Brew Challenge. Hosted by sponsor Colony Meadery the mead making contest of the past has been expanded and renamed. The Honey Home Brew Challenge at Wyck House on Saturday begins at 12:30pm.

Have you experimented with mead-making or brewing with honey? Do you have a batch of mead or honey beer ready to show off? Mead makers of all skill levels are invited to participate in an event designed to encourage you to experiment and hone your skills. Learn more: https://phillyhoneyfest.com/2018-mead-event/

HISTORY OF PHILADELPHIA HONEY FESTIVAL

The Philadelphia Honey Festival began in 2010 to accompany the placement of an historic marker honoring Philadelphia-born Lorenzo L. Langstroth. Well-known to beekeepers, Langstroth invented the first movable frame hive design based on the principle of “bee space.” You can see the marker at 106 South Front Street in Philadelphia, his birthplace.

The Philadelphia Beekeepers Guild had been founded the previous September (2009) and quickly allied with three historic venues to offer Honey & History activities, which they dubbed the 2010 Philly Honey Fest. Wyck Historic House | Garden | Farm, in the Germantown section of the city, lent their podium to such notable beekeepers as Kim Flottum, Elizabeth Capaldi Evans, Dean Stiglitz and Matt Redman. Beekeepers and the general public alike enjoyed children’s activities at the Wagner Free Institute of Science at 17th & Montgomery. While at historic Bartram’s Garden in southwest Philadelphia, the DaVinci Art Alliance member exhibit featured honey bees in art.

Since 2010, the Philadelphia Honey Festival has been held the weekend after Labor Day; 2018 marks the 9th festival. The venues are purposefully chosen in order to allow Philadelphians the opportunity to attend the festival without traveling far from their neighborhoods. This year, the festival will kick off on FRIDAY, at Glen Foerd on the Delaware- in the Northeast. We move Saturday, to Wyck Historic House in Northwest Philadelphia and wrap up on Sunday at Bartram’s Garden in West Philly.

DAY BY DAY SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES

The Philadelphia Beekeepers Guild is proud to present this festival for the 9th year along with our three partners. It may sound “too sweet”, but we really do have something for everyone! Honey sampling, music, children’s activities, informative talks on bees, adult beverages, demonstrations on all aspects of beekeeping, great food, vendor marketplaces, and the list goes on.

Philadelphia Honey Festival 2018 will also announce additional programming closer to the event.

Entry to the festival venues, educational activities and demonstrations is free! Thank you to this year's sponsors, including Mom's Organic Market, Honest Tea, The Colony Meadery, Philly Homebrew Outlet and Grid Magazine.

Learn more about this great event at: www.phillyhoneyfest.com.
You can contact the Honey Fest Team at: honeyfest@phillybeekeepers.org

DAY ONE: GLEN FOERD

Glen Foerd on the Delaware (Grant Ave. & Milnor St., Philadelphia 19114 hosts the official kick off for Honey Festival 2018! The event runs Friday, September 7th, from 5:00pm to 9:00pm. This evening event is a great chance to sample all the activities which comprise the Honey Festival. There truly is something for everyone this night!

“We are so proud to be included as a partner for Philadelphia Honey Festival and to offer support to local beekeepers, bee enthusiasts and those who are just discovering the festival and the wonders of the honey bee. The festival is a wonderful way to kick-off the fall season and offers entertainment, shopping, and educational opportunities to both kids and adults alike.” Glen Foerd’s Director of Programs and Collections, Erica Freeman.

5:00pm-9:00pm Ongoing Activities:

Lawn Games
Vendor Market Place: Visit with local vendors and organizations selling honey-based products, natural products and providing demonstrations including information about home beer brewing and mead making.

* Truly Pure and Natural
* Mithras Candle
* Only In the Forest
* Juniper Lane Fiber Arts
* Philadelphia Bee Guild
* Riverfront North Partnership
* Inspire Energy
* Philadelphia Insectarium and Butterfly Pavilion
* Friends of Poquessing Creek

5:30pm – Open Hive Talk – Join us for an Open Hive talk with members of the Philadelphia Beekeepers Guild. See what happens inside the hive!

6:30pm – BEE BEARD! The ever-popular event features Don Shump, Philadelphia Bee Company, who will create a beard of bees on his face!

7:15pm – Mr. Kirk Wattles – “The Plague of the Spotted Lantern Fly“; Learn about the havoc and devastation this invasive insect can bring to your landscape.

7:30pm – Dr. Poune Saberi – “The Difference Between Night & Day“; Increased nighttime illumination has disruptive consequences for all forms of life: plants and animals: pollinators and humans alike. Studies have shown that light pollution unravels the intertwined tapestry of day and night pollinators that it speeds up the circadian rhythm of birds and other city dwellers, like us! Dr. Saberi, M.D. from Physicians for Social Responsibility, explains in simple terms, the 2017 Nobel Prize-winning research into the Circadian Clock Gene.

8:30pm – Honey Extraction – so you have a hive full of honey…now what?! See how honey goes from hive to table!

DAY TWO: WYCK

Next, Wyck Historic House, Garden, and Farm (6026 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia 19144) offers a full day of events on Saturday, September 8th from 10 am – 4 pm. Special features include a Honey Home Brew Challenge, the mead tent for demonstrations and sampling, ongoing children’s activities, and a vendor marketplace.

“Wyck has hosted the Philadelphia Honey Festival for eight years and looks forward to the 9th! This event shows the power of collaboration, from working with the Philadelphia Beekeepers Guild and the other hosts, to working with the sponsors and vendors. It all comes together to be an enjoyable and educational festival for our community." Wyck, Executive Director, Jennifer Carlson.

10:00am to 4:00pm Ongoing Activities:

Tour Wyck House – Learn about the Quaker family who called Wyck home for nine generations. Admission is FREE!
G-Town Radio on site; broadcasting live from Wyck 3-4pm!
GAMERS! Teens and up are invited to try out this “medium weight euro game” Bee Lives: We Will Only Know Summer, which runs 1 to 4 players through a year of managing a wild bee hive, under the guidance of the game’s designer Matt Shoemaker.
Vendor Market Place: Visit with local vendors and organizations selling honey based products, natural products and providing demonstrations including information about home beer brewing and mead making. Confirmed 2018 vendors include: John and Kira’s Chocolates, Only in the Forest Jewelry, Truly Pure and Natural, Instar Apiaries, Fifth of a Farm Creations, Becca’s Handmade Crochet, Hit ‘Em With Shoe, Nerdi Bunny author Aisha Toombs, Soaps by Alana, Random Tea Room, Guate Love It, and Inspire (Renewable Energy).
If you are hungry, try these Philadelphia Food Trucks 2StreetSammies and Tasty Eats!

10:00am-2:00pm Trees for Bees – Awbury Arboretum!

11:00am- 3:00pm Ongoing Children’s Activities – Join us in the shaded area close to the carriage house for educational and fun BEE activities!

11:00am- 3:00pm Cider – Help us press some apples and taste the sweet cider results (located near the home farm)

The Honey Festival will be held rain or shine. Some of the following activities are weather permitting.

10:30am Open Hive Talk – Take a peek into a real live beehive; a real live beekeeper will tell you everything you ever wanted to know about honey bees

11:00am The Plague of the Spotted Lantern Fly – Kirk Wattles, Street Tree Management Div., City of Philadelphia

11:15am Healthy City – Urban Habitat: Abundant wild nature in the city is good for us! With Helena van Vliet (American Institute of Architects, BioPhilly founding member, Biophilic Cities steering committee), let’s explore the deep connection between human health and urban biodiversity. She will talk about building symbiotic relationships in and for the resilient biophilic city of the future

12:00 noon Honey Extraction – How Do You Get the Honey Away From the Bees? Watch as honey is taken from the honey comb and take a taste!

12:00 noon to 4:00pm – The Rose Garden – MEAD Tent Event Schedule

12:00pm-1:00pm – Live Mead Making Demonstration – Join Sean Benjamin as he explains how easy it can be to make the world’s oldest fermented beverage at home.

1:00pm – 1:30pm Honey Home Brew Event Results Announced – Mike Manning from Colony Meadery shares educational feedback on the entries in the Philly Homebrew Competition. Join us as we listen and learn. (click here to see details of how to enter your brews)

12:00pm-4:00pm Sampling Colony Meadery’s extensive selection of locally made meads, Taste Testing with Philly Homebrew Outlet, one source for all your honey home brewing needs. (ID required for entrance to the Mead tent.)

12:30 pm Open Hive Talk – What’s Going On In There? Join us at the beehives by the greenhouses to watch and learn from the beekeeper

1:00pm How 800 Hives Support the Huff Brothers’ Families – Joshua Huff, Co-Owner Huff’s Honey Farm

1:30pm Honey Extraction – See how the honey goes from the honey comb to the jar through the “magic” of centrifugal force

2:00pm Bee Beard! – someone crazy (that would be Don Shump of Philadelphia Bee Company) will create a beard of bees on his face!

2:30pm The Plague of the Spotted Lantern Fly – Kirk Wattles, Street Tree Maintenance Div., City of Philadelphia

3:00pm The Role of Bees (& Beekeepers) in an Urban Ecology – Doug Sponsler, Ph.D., Penn State University

3:00pm The Savory Side of Sweet – chef Greg Funk will demonstrate how to prepare some delicious and historic Wyck recipes (Education shed)

3:30pm Open Hive Talk – Get up close and personal, if you dare! Watch and ask questions, as a beekeeper “works the bees”

DAY THREE: BARTRAM'S

Bartram’s Garden (54th Street & Lindbergh Blvd., Philadelphia 19143) hosts the final day of the festival on Sunday, September 9th from 10 am – 4 pm. Special features include a children’s carnival, Children’s Bee Parade, a marketplace with local crafts, beer making demonstrations and music by the Red Hot Ramblers.

"We are proud to partner with the Philadelphia Beekeepers Guild on an event that is so important and unique in our city," said Roy. "Bartram’s Garden is proud to host the Philadelphia Honey Festival and spread awareness about how much we rely on honey bees."

10am – 4pm Ongoing Activities

Bartram’s Fall Plant Sale – Pollinator-friendly options
Children’s Carnival – Make your own costume for the bee parades!
Free Library “Book Bike”, kids’ yoga, and stories (until 3 pm)
GAMERS! Teens and up are invited to try out this “medium weight euro game” Bee Lives: We Will Only Know Summer, which runs 1 to 4 players through a year of managing a wild bee hive, under the guidance of the game’s designer Matt Shoemaker.
Vendors’ Marketplace: local vendors and organizations selling hand-made products and demonstrations including “home brewing with honey” by our sponsor, Philly Homebrew Outlet. The vendor list is growing; click here to see who to expect!
Bartram’s Gift Shop & Tours – Welcome Center
Famous Philly food trucks on site: The Tot Cart Revolution Taco Lil Pop Shop and Farm Truck Philly

Ongoing 11:00am – 3pm – Free Boating on the Delaware

Ongoing 12:00pm – 4:00pm – House And Garden Tours Available Tickets can be purchased in the Welcome Center

The Honey Festival will be held rain or shine. Some of the following activities are weather permitting. Check final schedule before you come.

10:30am Open Hive Talk – Take a peek inside a REAL LIVE hive with an experienced beekeeper!

11:00am Honey Extraction Demonstration – Learn how honey makes it from the hive and the honeycomb into a jar!

11:30am Children’s Bee Parade #1 – Don’t forget to make your costumes in the Children’s Area ahead of time.

11:00am The Plague of the Spotted Lantern Fly – Kirk Wattles

12:00 noon History of Apiculture: From Honey Hunters to Modern Beekeeping – Sam Torres — Sam will talk about humans’ first encounters with honey bees and the transition into domestication. Attendees will get to see what it was like to keep bees as far back as ancient Egypt all the way up to present day.

12:30pm Open Hive Talk – What’s going on in there? Watch and learn as a beekeeper opens a living bee hive right before your eyes.

1:00pm Honey Extraction Demo – All hands on deck, interactive honey harvest; learn then do it!

1:30pm The Philly Pollinators’ Corridor – Kim Douglas – When greenspace is broken up by stretches of asphalt and cement, pollinators with short flight ranges are confined to small patches of habitat. But when we create adjacent oases of habitat, these pollinators can make their way across the city, resting and refueling as they journey. Kim will discuss the process by which her team is planning – with input from the southwest Philly community – a greenway designed especially for pollinators.

2:00pm Open Hive Talk – Come closer if you dare! Ask the beekeeper anything you want to know about honey bees.

2:00pm Music by the Red Hot Ramblers – an authentic 1920s jazz ensemble in every way – they exemplify red hot syncopation, stompin’ rhythms, and lyrical melodies associated with the Jazz Age.

2:15pm Children’s Bee Parade #2 – Visit the Children’s Area ahead of time to make your costumes

2:30pm “Land On Me” – the perennial reprise of our children’s entertainment featuring the honey bee and the flower who is afraid of her!

2:30pm – Honey Extraction Demonstration Learn how honey makes it from the hive and the honeycomb into a jar!

3:00pm – Bee Beard! Watch as Don Shump, Philadelphia Bee Company, creates a beard of bees on his face!

3:30pm – Open Hive Talk – Your last chance to see inside a real bee hive at the 2018 Honey Festival!

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