To most people, bees are pesky insects that you try your hardest to steer clear of. Whether it is because of their intimidating stingers or continuous humming sound, it’s safe to say that these critters are not favored by many. However, the importance of bees in our environment is often overlooked, and the city of Lithopolis has chosen to treat every bee like a queen.

Every year the people of Lithopolis come together to hold Honey Fest,  a non-profit event with a mission to raise awareness of the importance of the honey bee on crop pollination, increase the consumption of honey, and educate people on the industry of beekeeping.

This year’s Honey Fest will take place on September 9th and 10th and mark the festival's 16 years of existence. Even if you are not a self-proclaimed bee lover, Honey fest is still a free, fun, and educational way to end your summer!

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What To Do at the Lithopolis Honey Fest

There are so many things to do; it's hard to decide where to begin!

The weekend-long event celebrates honey bees in unimaginable ways. The festival is filled with bee beards and observation hives, with different samples of honey lurking around every corner. Visitors of the Lithopolis Honeyfest enjoy all things related to honey, such as beekeeping, honey tasting, food made with honey, and informative beekeeping featuring Ohio Beekeepers. In addition to learning about beekeeping, Bee themed items are sold throughout the festival, where bee-lovers can purchase everything from soaps and jewelry to honey-inspired painted glass. The festivals encourage all artisans to participate in Honeyfest.  Younger beekeepers can create crafts at the Busy Beehive. You may even catch a glimpse of the bee man and get a chance to learn how his interest in bees has developed over the years.

Young and Old, there are activities available for everyone!

No matter your age, there are fun activities around every corner at the Lithopolis Honey Fest!

As the festivities are about to begin, it is time to talk about the activities that are available to all ages. Walk around and enjoy the beekeeper vendors, arts and craft exhibits, bake off, contests and music, and entertainment. There are different contests that community members are able to enter such as the Honey Bake-Off, photography contests, and the Honey Competition.

Don’t want to enter any of the competitions? There are other activities that you and your friends and family can do. Hungry? Visit the different food vendors while taking time to enjoy the music and live entertainment.

Finally, if you have kids there are a number of arts and craft exhibitors that you will encounter as you walk through the festival. Take time to stop by a few of them and see what crafts and activities there are available. It is known to be a ton of bee-tastic fun for everyone!

Honey Bake-Off

On your mark, get set, and let the bake-off begin!

The Honeyfest bake-off showcases how everyday cooks can incorporate honey as a baking ingredient. Through this competition, you’ll learn not only how to add sweetness to your favorite desserts, but also learn the benefit of using honey in a variety of recipes. The bake-off has seven different classes that potential contestants can participate in. Contestants in classes 1-5 & 7 must use honey as 50% of a sweetener in desserts such as cookies, cakes, pies, and many more. In class 6, honey must be the only sweetener used to make yeast bread.  Winners of the Honeyfest bake sale will receive a cash prize. 

For those who are not ready to leave the beehive and compete, baked goods that do not fit into a specified category would be appreciated as a donation for the bake sale. All entries are the property of the Lithopolis Honeyfest and will be sold by the bake sale, and the proceeds go toward the operating costs of the Lithopolis Honeyfest. Also, a selection of competitors will be chosen to be published in the next edition of Taste of Honey.  For more sweet tips, check out the 

Honey Competition

Who knew that honey came in so many different shades?

Another featured event of Honeyfest is the Honey Competition. There are seven different classes for the Honey Competition. Classe 1-4 is for white, white water, amber, and dark amber extracted honey. These entries will be judged on appearance and filled with jars, color, clarity, cleanliness, moisture, flavor, and aroma. Classes 6-7 accept comb cut, creamed, and beeswax honey entries. The judging varies on each type of honey, and judging criteria can be found on the Honey Fest website. For every class, there is a cash prize for best in the show, first, second and third place.

Photography Contest

Take a moment to step back and enjoy the pieces of life that aren’t often thought about or closely seen by everyone.

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The Honeyfest photography contest consists of three classes. Classes 1 and 2 are for adults only. The categories are “Life as a Beekeeper” and “The Smartphone," which allow any honey bee-related photo taken with a smartphone as an entry. Class 3 is where younger photographers can participate in the “All things Honey Bee category." This class is for youth 17 years and younger.

Lithopolis Honeyfest Queen and Princess Pageant

What’s a festival without some friendly competition?

The pageant will be held Saturday. The Queen division is for girls ages 13 to 18. The Princess division is for girls 6 to 12. In each division, a first runner-up will be announced alongside the Queen or Princess. Winners will be required to participate in festivals/parades.

• All contestants must be female, currently attending school, and reside in the State of Ohio.
• Princess candidates must submit a story about honey bees.  It should be one full page (notebook paper) and may include a drawing.  The report will be judged on creativity and grammar.
• All queen candidates must submit a 500-word essay on the importance of the honey bee. The essay must be typed in 12 Calibri font and double-spaced.
• A mandatory rehearsal will be held on Wednesday
• After being crowned, the Honeyfest Queen and Princess must remain at the festival.
• There are other regulations and deadlines regarding registration and dress code for the pageant.
• The attire for the pageant is semi-formal and age-appropriate. Hair and makeup should be a natural look.  Dresses must be knee length or longer, with no high slits and no bare backs or mid-riffs. Stiletto heels are not permitted.

See what previous winners have accomplished during their reigns on the Honeyfest website.

The Lithopolis Honeyfest is the perfect way to end your summer! The educational value of the event, in addition to the celebration of honey, makes this festival inclusive for all ages! So bring the whole family to this honey-filled event and indulge in all the sweetness Honeyfest has to offer!