BUZZ ON DOWN TO THE INTERNATIONAL HONEYBEE FESTIVAL
Saturday, April 11, 2026
New Location, Same Sweet Celebration!
This year, the Palisade Honeybee Festival is buzzing over to Cross Orchards Historic Site – Museums of Western Colorado! We're excited about this move, which brings more space for vendors, expanded parking, and fun new activities for kids.
As an agricultural landmark, Cross Orchards is a perfect fit for our festival. We're especially thrilled to introduce new honeybee hives on-site, which will become part of the orchard’s year-round educational programming.
Join us in this beautiful historic setting as we celebrate bees, agriculture, and community in a whole new way!
A Heartfelt, Big Thank You
- To our vendors who brought their great products and services along with their positive attitudes and sense of fun.
- To our sponsors, especially to KREX , THE PLANET and Ryan/Sawyer Marketing who got the word out via TV, radio, the website and social media.
- To KREX NEWS 5 on-air personalities Chief Meterologist Russ Pappas for live weather reports from Palisade: Ethan Noah and Jocelyn Stafford for presenting the Spelling Bee and Bee Costume Contest
- To our guest speakers, Breann of Mt. Garfield Greenhouse, Mona from Bookcliff Gardens, Dan Bean from the Insectary and Chef Chad from Colorado Wine Country Inn to giving us tips on how to boost our gardens to attract bee, how to use insects for good, not evil, and how to whip up delicious food with honey.
- To our Worker Bees: Michelle for wrangling vendor booths, Dixie for food demo and lining up speakers, Jim for outstanding photos, Kay for hosting a great reception, to Bridgett and Ruby for manning the Info booth, to James for the wonderful Meadery honey wines, Julia and Ellen for becoming bees for the day, the volunteers who read and entertained kids in Kendra's Hive, Molly and the Western Colorado Beekeepers for educating visitors, Palisade High Schoolers who helped with Costume Contest and Spelling Bee, Chris and David from WCI who did the heavy lifting, helping vendors.
- To our outstanding, ever-present Master of Ceremonies for Ron Koss keeping us on track.
- To Troy and his staff at the Town of Palisade who coordinated logistics for our event.
- To the Chamber of Commerce for publicity, clerical, manpower support.
- To the citizens of the Grand Valley, who always show up and celebrate agriculture and honeybees with us.
You made this Honeybee Festival the most successful one ever. We are Beeholden to you all.
The Organizing Committee
Palisade International Honeybee Festival
"A grassroots, volunteer educational committee."
Thank you to our 2025 presenting sponsors: The Guy's Giving Club & MacMountain Apiary
Our generous sponsors make it possible to continue providing a free, educational and family-friendly festival each year.







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