Bee Cave librarian: Books and Bees Festival returns for 2nd year
The Bee Cave Public Library and the city of Bee Cave are presenting the second annual Books and Bees Festival at the Hill Country Galleria, with an amazing lineup of children’s activities, author panels, bee education and more in a two-day celebration of literacy, nature and the beauty of the Hill Country.
Children’s authors, activities
First up on Saturday, April 1, is a birthday celebration for our storytime mascot, the Bee Cave Bee, with storyteller and musician Kim Lehman, who will share songs, stories, pollination magic and more in the Children’s Tent at 11 a.m. The book festival officially kicks off at 12:30 p.m. with Bee Cave’s very own Buzzy the Bee “reading” his own book with the help of his interpreter, Jenny Hoff. As a gift from the event’s headline sponsor, Keystone Bank, the first 25 attendees to arrive and who registered ahead of time, will receive a special limited-edition Buzzy the Bee plushie and book. Limit one per family. Additional sets will be available for purchase.
Children’s authors Melissa Coffey, Nicholas Solis, and Kristin Wauson will share their books and answer questions about their storytime magic beginning at 1:00 p.m., followed by an interactive drawing panel with illustrators Kristin Wauson and Laura Fisk at 2:00 p.m. Crafts for kids will be ongoing throughout the day until we wind up the kids programming with a concert by Lucas Miller, the Singing Zoologist at 3:30 p.m.
For tweens, graphic novelist duo Kazu and Amy Kim Kibuishi will discuss their New York Times bestselling AMULET graphic novel series in the Tween Tent from 1:00-2:00 p.m. This wildly popular series follows the adventures of Emily, a young girl who discovers a sentient and autonomous magical amulet in her maternal great-grandfather’s house. They will be followed by a panel on the Art of Storytelling with Cathy O’Neill, Jacquetta Nammar Feldman, and Evan Griffith, whose middle-grade books have wide appeal.
The bee and nature education tents will offer interactive exhibits including beekeeper suits, model hives, “can you guess the animal” x-rays, and more. Free wildflower seeds will be on hand while supplies last for visitors to get started on their own natural garden to help Bee Cave’s honorary resident, the bee, and fellow pollinators.
Keystone Keynote Tent
Author panels for adults kick off at 1:00 p.m. with Bee Cave’s own humorist extraordinaire, Wendi Aarons, author of "I’m Wearing Tunics Now," leading a panel of humor writers including Alex Baia, Erica Lies, and Dina Gachman, whose new book "So Sorry for Your Loss" has been hailed as “heartbreakingly human and mordantly funny.” The panel will explore how humor makes us human and helps us cope with life.
Best-selling thriller writers Jeff Abbott and Meg Gardiner will be featured at 2:00 p.m. in the Keystone Tent to discuss their newest heart-stopping thrillers and the art of writing. At 3:00 p.m., romance authors Kayla Olson and Alyssa Morris will close out the day with “Love and Relationships” in the Keystone Tent. All of our featured authors will be available in the Barnes and Noble Tent after their panels to sign copies of their books for purchase. A portion of the proceeds benefits the Friends of the Library and supports next year’s Books and Bees Festival.
Fantasy, romance at Barnes and Noble
From 2:00-3:00 p.m. inside Barnes and Noble, popular author Abigail Owen will discuss her fantasy-based romance, "The Liar’s Crow," part of a new series from the award-winning author. She’ll be joined by Heather Walter, whose "Malice" is a retelling of Sleeping Beauty where a princess falls for a sorceress.
HoneyFest, local author fair on April 2
The Books and Bees Festival continues Sunday, April 2, with HoneyFest, a celebration of local beekeepers and a honey-tasting contest. The event runs alongside the Lone Star Farmers Market and will feature special bee-themed vendors, and a celebration of local independent authors who will sign and sell their books from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Sponsors for the Books and Bees Festival include the city of Bee Cave Economic Development Corporation, Keystone Bank, Friends of Bee Cave Public Library, Hill Country Galleria, Raising Cane’s, Acton Academy of Bee Cave, Learning Express Toys-Bee Cave, Bees-For-All and American Bee Journal.
To register for free and see the full list of authors and activities, visit booksandbeesfestival.com.
Give input on new library
As planning continues for the new Bee Cave library, be sure to visit the New Library Tent during Books and Bees on Saturday, April 1. Our consultants will have “vision boards” on display with ideas and concepts and will ask for your input on what you would like to see as part of your new library. Visitors will be given “Bee Cave Bucks” they can use to “vote” for the ideas they would like to see implemented. Later this spring, a survey will be available to give additional input as we kick off the community outreach phase of the design process.
The Bee Cave Public Library is inside City Hall at the Hill Country Galleria. For more information about library programs and services, please visit our website at beecavelibrary.com or call 512.767.6620.
Barbara Hathaway is the director of the Bee Cave Public Library.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Bee Cave librarian: Books and Bees Festival returns for 2nd year
