By Riley McCoy
For The Register – Herald
Beckley — Bees, beekeepers and bottles of honey take center stage in Beckley this weekend.
The ninth annual Beckley Honey Festival runs Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine. The event brings together beekeepers, local honey producers, musicians, vendors and community organizations for a day focused on honeybees and their role in the region.
Raleigh County Schools will add to the festival’s educational offerings with books and activities for children.
“We have pencils and the bee antenna that students like. Plus, we’ll be giving out or giving away books,” Superintendent Serena Starcher said as officials reviewed several planned back-to-school events.
Students at the festival will be able to pick out books to take home. The district’s booth runs the full festival schedule.
Elsewhere on the grounds, visitors can learn about raising bees, sample and buy locally produced honey, and watch live demonstrations.
Meanwhile, activities at the Youth Museum will include bee dissections and an art activity.
Visitors can also explore “Forever Forrest,” a traveling exhibit on loan from the Omaha Children’s Museum.
The festival is organized jointly by the Exhibition Coal Mine and the Raleigh County Beekeepers Cooperative Association. Association members bring “so much knowledge,” said Parks and Recreation Director Leslie Gray Baker, who added that anyone serious about learning beekeeping would benefit from talking to them directly.
As stated by Baker, the public needs to become “more aware of the myriad of issues that confront bees” and recognize how critical pollinators are to agriculture worldwide.
The event has grown every year since it started, according to Baker. “Everyone loves the activities and really appreciates the opportunity to purchase locally sourced honey and learn about beekeeping and the importance of honeybees,” she said.
That growth, Baker said, reflects a deliberate push to teach visitors what honeybees do beyond making honey — an educational mission that sits oddly well next to a coal mine museum. Most weekends, the Exhibition Coal Mine tells the story of Appalachian coal heritage.
For one Saturday in August, it’s all bees.
Organizers added new categories for 2026 and the competition is one of only two in West Virginia sanctioned by the West Virginia Beekeepers Association alongside the American Honey Show Training Council.
Music comes from the Long Point String Band throughout the day. Food and specialty vendors will sell hot dogs, smoked pork, roasted corn, kettle corn and fudge, and Exhibition Coal Mine tours will run at discounted festival rates.
Additional information is available by calling the Exhibition Coal Mine at 304-256-1747.
Read more from The Register -Herald, here
The post Beckley Honey Festival sweetens Saturday appeared first on West Virginia Press Association.
