Honey Festival Trinidad: A Celebration of Honey

By Klysha Best

For twenty years, Trinidad and Tobago’s BUZZconcepts has been in the business of creating experiences. Not just events. Experiences that linger, that connect, that make people fee something long after the last guest has gone home.

Now, the company is turning its attention to something small but mighty: the bee. On Saturday, May 23, 2026, BUZZconcepts will launch Honey Fest, a oneday festival at the Department for Creative and Festival Arts on Gordon Street, St. Augustine. The theme? Unlock Sweetness. But don’t let the name fool you. This isn’t just about honey. It’s about education, community, and the urgent work of protecting the most important insect on the planet.

The timing is deliberate. May 20 is World Bee Day. It also happens to be the 20th anniversary of
BUZZconcepts. Founder Brendon Brathwaite saw the alignment and knew he had to act.

“We wanted to have an experiential festival centered around the theme of bees and honey,” Brathwaite explains. “We have mastered the art of executing events with the BUZZconcepts brand over the past 20 years, and this is our first festival putting our years of experience to work. Honey Fest is our way of saying thank you while creating a space where people can enjoy, learn and share something sweet together.”

Honey Fest is built on three core themes: Education, Commerce, and Family Fun. On the education side, BUZZconcepts has partnered with the InterAmerican Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) to lead workshops and talks on honey, bees, pollinators, and sustainability.

“Bees are known to be the most important insect on the planet,” Brathwaite says. “Instead of taking a spray and killing it, we want to show people how much bees do and how essential they are to sustaining life.”

The commerce pillar brings together local vendors selling honey-infused products, candles, soaps, beeswax goods, plants, and more. “Our vendors have been challenged to come up with imaginative ways to incorporate honey into their offerings,” Brathwaite says. Think doubles with honey-infused pepper sauce, honey mustard, honey-roasted nuts, and honey-infused desserts. The family fun pillar is where the festival truly buzzes.

Tickets are priced so that two adults and two children under12 can attend for just $100 TTD – about $15 USD for a family of four. There will be a kids’ zone, bouncy castle, treasure hunt, quizzes, and live entertainment. Even the Moko Jumbies will be dressed as bees.

For many around the globe and even here in the Caribbean, honey is just something they buy at the supermarket – a generic sweetener in a plastic bear. Brathwaite wants to change that.

“Locally produced honey reflects the environment it comes from,” he says. “The flavours, colours, and textures vary depending on the flowers and plants the bees interact with. When people taste local honey, they’re really tasting a part of our landscape, and that’s something special.”

Attendees will have the chance to taste honey from local beekeepers, learning to appreciate the nuances that mass produced honey can never replicate. Bringing together beekeepers, vendors, educators, and entertainers for a first-of-itskind festival has not been easy.

“Because this is the first event of its kind, there isn’t really a blueprint to follow, we’re building something new from the ground up,” Brathwaite admits. “But that challenge is also what makes it exciting. We’re learning, adapting, and creating something truly original.”

Brathwaite won’t reveal all the details, but he is adamant about one thing: stay until the end.

“We’re encouraging everyone who can, to stay till the end,” he says with a smile. “We have engineered a very fun collaborative surprise for all the patrons. I don’t want to spoil it, but it will be worth it.”

If Honey Fest is a success, Brathwaite envisions it becoming an annual event on Trinidad’s
calendar.

“The vision is for Honey Fest to grow into a signature event,” he says. “If the response is as positive as we expect, we would love to build on it year after year, expanding the experience and continuing to highlight the importance of bees, honey, and community.”

For first time attendees, Brathwaite has simple advice: come early, come curious, and come ready to explore.

“Take the time to visit the vendors, attend a workshop, try the honey tastings, and really engage with the experience,” he says. “Bring the family, pace yourself, and stay until the end. Most importantly, come with an open mind and enjoy the sweetness of it all.”

Honey Fest runs from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 23, 2026, at the Department for Creative and Festival Arts, Gordon Street, St. Augustine. Tickets are available on Island Etickets and early birds are called “early bee tickets.”

Whether you come for the treats or stay for the experience, one thing is certain: you’ll leave with a little extra sweetness and a lasting impression of what it truly feels like to celebrate with BUZZ.