Bees won’t be buzzin’ at the Honeybee Festival this year.
Cloverdale’s Honeybee Centre has cancelled its famous bee fest for 2025.
Cassie Gibeau, a program coordinator at the centre, said there were a few reasons they decided not to hold the event.
She cited “a decline in participation over the last number of years,” but noted the main reason was the “uncertainty” related to the construction of SkyTrain along the Fraser Highway.
“Harvie Road, where our guests park, has been closed or used for construction parking with last-minute notice,” Gibeau said. “Last year, we actually rescheduled our festival one weekend later than usual and it was a blessing in disguise as Harvie Road was closed for six days.”
She added that for the Honeybee Centre to mitigate risks and costs due to that uncertainty, and to focus on their customers first, they decided to “pause” the festival for 2025.
Gibeau did not comment on whether or not the festival was coming back in 2026.
The Honeybee Festival usually runs anywhere from mid- to late-July.
The free, family-friendly event has beekeeping demonstrations, an artisan market, food trucks, honey, and many other activities for all. The crowd favourites are both the beekeeping demonstrations and the famous bee beards, where a person can have as many as a thousand bees on their face.
Despite the cancellation of the festival, the centre is still running an array of programs in July.
This month, the Honeybee Centre is offering: paint classes, candle workshops, summer courtyard drop-in days, beekeeping experiences, teen time, sensory play, and other programs.
For more info on the centre, any of the above-named programs, how to grab some honey at the centre’s unique store, or anything else, visit honeybeecentre.com.
The Honeybee Centre is located at 7480 176th Street, at the corner of 176th and the Fraser Highway.
