On Saturday, downtown Woodland will host the fifth annual California Honey Festival, a celebration of bees as primary pollinators. The festival is free and features live music, cooking demonstrations, a kid zone, and a honey lab. Over 110 vendors, including several dedicated to local honey, will also participate.

Founder Al Eby said he wanted to create a signature festival that celebrated Woodland’s identity as an “ag town.” Bees and pollination were the perfect fit, he said, given the agricultural aspect of what Woodland and Yolo County do. UC Davis is also involved in the event, and the Honey Lab hosted by the Robert Mondavi Institute’s Honey and Pollination Center allows visitors to learn about honey-making, the life cycle of bees, and the different kinds of hives.

Eby emphasized that he wants the festival to be educational and feature high-quality vendors and presentations. He also noted that the festival has become a staple in the Woodland community, with one person buying a house because of it.

Eby praised the community’s support, including that of business owners and the Woodland Hoteliers Group, who provided seed money for the festival.

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