The 7th Annual
West Seattle Bee Festival was on Saturday, May 18th!
Thanks to those of you who joined us – especially our wonderful performers, vendors, community resource organizations and sponsors!
Bee-low are some photos and festival highlights. Enjoy!
Our 2019 festival got off to a fast start this year! Our first event of the day was the Honey Run, a free, informal, fun run in High Point Commons Park.
We enjoyed amazing live music throughout the festival! Legendary songstress, Laura Love performed with Terry Hunt at the Amphitheater!
Ella-Bella Bee and the Pollinators performed an original, interactive musical! Elementary age hip-hop dancers from Boom Dance Studios joined them for "The Bat Rap" - since bats often get such a bad rap.
The Modern Jazz Quintet from Mountlake Terrace High School performed near the Bee Garden. The group included Caden Hargrave (saxophone), Josh Setala (drums), Ernesto Torres (trumpet), Andrew Vinther (bass), and Natalie Song (piano).
The Parade, a perennial favorite, was led by the Big Bee! Ella-Bella Bee joined in on her unicycle. Everyone was welcome to join! Little Bees! Pets! Musicians! Everyone!
The Bee Garden buzzed with opportunities to see and learn about honey bees!
Our Vendor Fair was fun to explore! We invited organizations who prioritize environmental sustainability, businesses with a focus on bees, and community groups who provide resources to our local community. This year’s fair had a strong local and educational focus!
More art and science activities, as well as international food and community activities were hosted indoors at Neighborhood House. Other highlights:
You can find coverage of this year's festival from the West Seattle Blog here.
As well, check out this Pre-Festival coverage from Ellen Tailor at Q13 TV:
Thanks to all who helped this year! The High Point Open Spaces Association Events Committee (ECOSA) organizes and hosted the 2019 West Seattle Bee Festival with help from wonderful volunteers, vendors, and the following sponsors: 4Culture, The Seattle Public Library, West Seattle Bee Garden, Puget Sound Beekeepers Association, Neighborhood House, Seattle Housing Authority, The Management Trust, and Holiday Retirement (Bridge Park). We are also grateful to VieWS and MoCA, West Seattle Be Prepared, the Seattle Emergency Hubs, the West Seattle Timebank, and Chas Redmond for their support this year!
When is our next festival? We had planned to hold the 8th Annual West Seattle Bee Festival on the third Saturday in May, 2020...but have paused our planning because of the Coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic. We will post an update as soon as we know more.
We enjoyed amazing live music throughout the festival! Legendary songstress, Laura Love performed with Terry Hunt at the Amphitheater!
Ella-Bella Bee and the Pollinators performed an original, interactive musical! Elementary age hip-hop dancers from Boom Dance Studios joined them for "The Bat Rap" - since bats often get such a bad rap.
The Modern Jazz Quintet from Mountlake Terrace High School performed near the Bee Garden. The group included Caden Hargrave (saxophone), Josh Setala (drums), Ernesto Torres (trumpet), Andrew Vinther (bass), and Natalie Song (piano).
The Parade, a perennial favorite, was led by the Big Bee! Ella-Bella Bee joined in on her unicycle. Everyone was welcome to join! Little Bees! Pets! Musicians! Everyone!
The Bee Garden buzzed with opportunities to see and learn about honey bees!
- Bee Garden creator and beekeeper, Lauren Englund gave an informative Hive Demo with fellow beekeepers!
- Puget Sound Beekeepers brought an assortment of local honey to taste or buy! It flew!
Our Vendor Fair was fun to explore! We invited organizations who prioritize environmental sustainability, businesses with a focus on bees, and community groups who provide resources to our local community. This year’s fair had a strong local and educational focus!
- West Seattle Be Prepared hosted an Urban Survival Skills Fair. Attendees came away with useful emergency preparedness skills and hacks, as well as free emergency toilets!
- Tilth Alliance brought their popular worm bin, info about their Master Composter Sustainability Steward and Enviroscapes programs, and the Garden Hotline. Attendees learned how to create a bee-friendly garden!
- Camp Long hosted interesting bee and pollinator-related science activities!
- ROAR hosted fun activities such as bicycle-powered smoothies!
- The SW Police Precinct offered tours of their mobile precinct unit.
- Seattle Fire Department let attendees board a fire truck and also taught fire safety!
- High Point Resource Coalition member organizations were here, as well as other local West Seattle groups.
- Attendees enjoyed face-painting, balloon art, honeybrew kombucha, and opportunities to purchase plants, rent mason bees and shop from local businesses who care about bees and promote environmental stewardship!
More art and science activities, as well as international food and community activities were hosted indoors at Neighborhood House. Other highlights:
- Woodland Park Zoo brought their popular "Animal Ambassadors" from their Up CLOSE program.
- Pop-Up Sewing was back - this year with a Kid's Corner! Attendees learned how to sew, repair and re-purpose textiles (to keep them out of landfills). Materials and tools were provided, free! Our West Seattle Bee Festival iron-on patches were again a hot item!
You can find coverage of this year's festival from the West Seattle Blog here.
As well, check out this Pre-Festival coverage from Ellen Tailor at Q13 TV:
- Meet Beekeeper and Bee Garden founder, Lauren Englund
- Interview with Festival Coordinator, Deborah Vandermar
- Highlights: Urban Survival Skills Fair,, activities for kids, and more!
Thanks to all who helped this year! The High Point Open Spaces Association Events Committee (ECOSA) organizes and hosted the 2019 West Seattle Bee Festival with help from wonderful volunteers, vendors, and the following sponsors: 4Culture, The Seattle Public Library, West Seattle Bee Garden, Puget Sound Beekeepers Association, Neighborhood House, Seattle Housing Authority, The Management Trust, and Holiday Retirement (Bridge Park). We are also grateful to VieWS and MoCA, West Seattle Be Prepared, the Seattle Emergency Hubs, the West Seattle Timebank, and Chas Redmond for their support this year!
When is our next festival? We had planned to hold the 8th Annual West Seattle Bee Festival on the third Saturday in May, 2020...but have paused our planning because of the Coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic. We will post an update as soon as we know more.
A few additional notes...
- Do you want to volunteer or "bee" part of the next festival? If so, please email us, or text/call: 206 240-5561.
- Help us share the buzz about the Bee Festival and the Bee Garden with your friends, family and neighbors!
- Please like us on social media! Follow West Seattle Bee Garden on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter, @westseattlebee. Follow the West Seattle Bee Festival on Twitter, @WS_BeeFestival.
- Curious about previous festivals? Visit the more... section of our site for photos and highlights from each!
- Need a map to find the Bee Garden? See below!
