Although the Reptile Festival was the centerpiece of a celebration held April 19 and 20 in Martinsville, the inaugural Bee Flight Festival hosted by Bee City USA – Martinsville was in a class of its own.
“We are trying to do all we can to educate people on bees, beekeeping, and how important bees are to humans and to the environment as a whole,” said Mark Prescott. Bee City included beekeepers educating attendees about the importance of pollinators.
A live hive was displayed, and signs were placed around the events to offer information about bees. “We’ve seen a lot of kids, and we are trying to open their eyes to how important bees are,” said Prescott.
Prescott also provided information about ‘Hives for Heroes,’ a program for veterans interested in beekeeping.
Participants “will learn how to become a beekeeper over a year. At the start of the year, the mentor will then gift the veteran a hive of bees.” Interested veterans can check out the program at www.hivesforheroes.com.
Bee City set up a scavenger hunt to encourage families to search out several locations across Starling Ave., where the other events were taking place.
The Martinsville YMCA hosted Healthy Family Day, while Piedmont Arts hosted Earth Day Family Day.
The Beegins With You charity hosted an event to benefit children’s mental health.
Once the scavenger hunt was completed, participants could enter into a drawing.
“Some kids were more interested in the bees than in the reptiles,” Elizabeth Bailey, the United Way’s Communications and Outreach Coordinator, said.
The Reptile Fest, an annual event hosted by the Virginia Museum of Natural History (VMNH), attracted 841 visitors on Friday and 2,227 on Saturday. The total represented an uptick from the 2023 fest. In the museum parking lot, tables were set up with live displays, including hands-on interaction with several reptiles. Children were encouraged to learn more about reptiles and the exhibits already on display at the museum.
“The main point of having Bee City here was to have a new vendor and to give them a ready-made audience,” said Robbie Hendrix, events manager for the VMNH. Hendrix was delighted with the inclusion of Bee City and said the bees were a great addition to the reptile festival.
“Just having them here at our Reptile Festival is really nice,” Hendrix said.
Youngsters were the main focus of the festivities, with opportunities to craft at the Gravely-Lester Art Garden, with additional activities and some healthy snacks offered nearby.
The final event of the day was High Tea, an Alice in Wonderland-themed charity event put on by Beegins With You.
“It’s money for the community,” Walter Thompson said of the event that began two hours after the rest of the events closed and attracted more than 50 guests.
