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The International Lithuanian Beekeepers' Festival is the country's largest and most deeply rooted annual beekeeping festival and professional convention. Although a national event, it holds a solid international status: guest delegations from neighboring and distant countries (Poland, Latvia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Scandinavia, Ukraine, and beyond) attend every year, bringing together beekeepers, scientists, honey enthusiasts, and families to share experience and celebrate the end of the summer honey flow.

When does the festival take place?

  • Traditional timing: The festival is held every summer on the first weekend of August (Saturday and Sunday).

  • Traveling location: The event has no single permanent home—each year it takes place in a different Lithuanian district or manor park (e.g., Raudonė Castle, Paežeriai Manor, Niūronys, etc.), hosted by a different local beekeepers' association.

  • When it will take place in 2027:

    • Scheduled date: August 7–8, 2027 (the first weekend of August).

    • This will be the milestone 49th Lithuanian Beekeepers' Festival. The Lithuanian Beekeepers' Union (LBS) will announce the exact municipality and venue several months before the event.

What happens during the festival?

  • Festive parade and opening ceremony: Delegations from all Lithuanian districts and foreign countries march dressed in regional attire or bee-themed regalia, carrying flags and wearing team uniforms.

  • Tastings of honey and hive products: Blind honey tastings are held, the "Most Delicious Honey of the Year" is selected, and rare monofloral honeys, bee bread, pollen, propolis, royal jelly, and mead are showcased.

  • Fair and beekeeping innovations: A large equipment fair where manufacturers and craftsmen display state-of-the-art beehives, honey extractors, beeswax processing equipment, protective gear, and the latest veterinary and bee health solutions.

  • Scientific conferences and seminars: University lecturers, bee breeders, and practitioners deliver presentations on queen rearing, disease management (especially Varroa control), organic beekeeping, and climate change challenges.

  • Competitions and entertainment:

    • Hands-on contests (speed frame wiring, smoker lighting, theoretical trivia).

    • Sports challenges and fun relays for the entire family.

    • Evening entertainment with live concerts, gatherings around the campfire, and award presentations.

History and origins of the festival

  • The first festival (1963): The very first Lithuanian Beekeepers' Festival took place in 1963 in Dotnuva (Kėdainiai district). Its aim was to unite beekeepers, bridge the gap between science and practical beekeeping, and revive old community traditions.

  • Continuity and restoration (since 1989): While early gatherings were held intermittently, the re-established Lithuanian Beekeepers' Union turned the festival into an uninterrupted annual tradition starting in 1989.

  • The spirit of the word "bičiulis": In the Lithuanian language, the word bičiulis (friend / pal) originates directly from bičiulystė—the historical custom of shared beekeeping. The festival is built upon this exact philosophy: bringing together kindred spirits who do not compete, but instead share wisdom and support one another.