Place to BEE: Honey Festival 2016
Batumi Boulevard is still buzzing from this summer’s sweetest festival, Honey Festival 2016. Organized for the second time by the Ajara Beekeepers Business Association on 13th of August. Last year’s debut festival was so impressive that this year’s festival had the support of governmental bodies Agroservice Center and the Cultural Heritage Preservation Agency of Ajara, who wanted to contribute to the festival and promote local honey production. Thus the festival was larger in scale this time, with activities taking place over two days, starting in Batumi Boulevard and closing in Gonio Fortress on 16th of August.
24 beekeepers, representing Ajara and the Western Georgia region, were brought together and exhibited and sold their honey and by-products offering free taste testing for visitors. Information and interesting facts about beekeeping and honey modern beekeeping equipment, souvenirs, traditional beehives, original wax figures and honey cakes were all on show. Honey themed entertainment activities for all ages, including face-painting, games, drummers’ show; live music from DJ, jazz and rock bands were laid on.
The Chairman of the Government of Ajara, the Minister of Agriculture of Ajara, the Chairman of the Supreme Council of Ajara; representatives from the Swiss Cooperation Office, the Department of Tourism and Resorts of Ajara and regional NFA attended the event.
