Auburn’s downtown was abuzz with family fun on Friday evening as community members gathered at the Bee Auburn event held in the Gay Street Municipal parking lot.
The City of Auburn Parks and Recreation Department and the Auburn University College of Agriculture invited the people of Auburn to celebrate pollinators and local businesses.
Over a dozen stands were set up around 6 p.m., with the lucky ones being shaded by the Gay Street parking decks.
Hornsby Farms sold local honey and pepper jelly, Auburn Flowers and Gifts provided kids the opportunity to create their own flower crowns and vendors sold handmade pottery, plants and coffee to event goers.
Aubie was swarmed by kids and adults alike as soon as he arrived, everyone eager for the chance to take a photo or dance with him.
8 Track Rewind began performing at 6:30 p.m. and covered hits like “All Along the Watchtower,” “I Shot the Sheriff” and “Some Kind of Wonderful” as children danced in front of the stage.
Vanessa Farmer, Auburn graduate with a bachelor’s and master’s degrees in horticulture, sold local flowers and herbs from her tent representing Heartsease Retreat, a horticulture business based out of Notasulga, Alabama.
“Bees love these plants," Farmer said. "I brought this African Blue Basil and at home I’ve been watching bees working at them like crazy, so it’s a great pollinator."
Tiger Dining also had a tent set up, with Senior Executive Chef Emil Topel selling personally made scarlet runner bean hummus with chips and honey pecan blondies with free samples of bee balm and fruit infused water.
“Scarlet runner beans are a native bean to Alabama and also a great pollinator, and I picked Auburn cucumbers that came from the aquaponics program, with elderberry, which is another great bee-friendly food, to make syrup for the honey pecan blondie bars, so it’s all very pollinator and bee friendly,” Topel said. “Everyone wants more local, interesting food…we’re making a partnership with the pollinators and Auburn University to plant more bee-friendly plants and I’m going to cook the food.”
Unfortunately the event was cut short due to rainfall that arrived around 7:30 p.m.
It didn’t take long for vendors to begin packing up their wares, the band to stop playing and for crowds of families and event goers to huddle together under tents and the Gay Street parking deck to avoid the downpour.
The only person who seemed to enjoy the rain was six-year-old River Scarbrough, who twirled in circles and hopped in puddles outside the comfort of a nearby tent as the children’s chalk drawings of bees in front of the Auburn Arts Association’s table were washed away.
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