Burtner House in Harrison will host its first Honey Bee Festival

Organizers of a new festival at the historic Burtner House in Harrison are hoping it creates a buzz.

The Honey Bee Festival is scheduled for July 29 at the homestead, just off Route 28 at Exit 15.

Admission is free, but donations will be accepted.

“There’s a lot of interest in bees right now, and there’s a lot of reasons that bees are good,” said Vicki Kleber, owner of Russellton Bee Works.

Kleber mans the Burtner House hives, where a small colony is kept in the meadow and produces honey for fundraising.

Built in 1821, the farmhouse is one of the oldest homes in Allegheny County. Abandoned in the 1960s, it was saved from demolition by a group of volunteers. They now host tours and other fundraisers to keep it operational.

The inaugural Honey Bee Festival is part of a forward-thinking effort to draw more visitors to the property, society president Jeff Jones said.

There will be an extracting demonstration, where people can taste honey straight from the hive, he said.

Children can don beekeeper safety gear, including gloves and a veil, while handling a frame crawling with as many as 1,000 bees.

The state’s Honey Princess, Natalie Shimo of Mercer, will mingle with the crowd. Concessions, such as hot dogs and hamburgers, will be sold.

“Everyone can feel free to dress like a bee,” society secretary Pam Seguin said. “There will be lots of bee merchandise and snacks. Vendors have to have at least one bee item.”

Seven local beekeepers will set up their wares and educate visitors.

According to the American Beekeeping Federation, honeybees contribute about $20 billion to the value of crop production.

Crops such as blueberries and cherries are 90% dependent on honeybee pollination, according to the federation’s website.

Almond crops depend entirely on pollination, with the California almond industry requiring about 1.8 million colonies of honeybees.

“We wanted this to be a showcase and let the public peek at what we do,” Kleber said.

Seguin said a highlight of the event will be a baking contest for children ages 8 to 12.

“The cookies have to be sweetened with honey,” she said.

The cost to participate is $1. Children can bring six prepared cookies between 9 and 10 a.m., and judging will kick off at 11.

The top three bakers will be recognized.