Photos: ICT Bee Fest celebrates pollinators
The third annual festival guided visitors through an important part of the local ecosystem
Last Saturday, about 800 bee lovers of all ages gathered at the Mid-American All-Indian Museum for the third annual ICT Bee Fest.
Visitors interacted with bees and butterflies, browsed native plants, created insect-centric crafts, and listened to "Handpan Dan" tap out some tunes. Katie Schmidt of the Dyck Arboretum delivered a keynote address about sustainable gardening practices. Grassland Groupies and its Bee City Wichita committee organized the free event.
A self-contained interactive butterfly exhibit was one of the more popular activities at ICT Bee Fest. Millions of monarch butterflies pass through the Kansas every year during their annual mass migration from Mexico to Canada and back. Photos by Julian Kincaid for The SHOUT.
Janine Shin (left) and Carlotta Evans, artists who work for Harvester Arts, welcome visitors to ICT Bee Fest at the Mid-America All-Indian Center. At right, Shin demonstrates how to paint the Mobile Mural Wall. Photos by Julian Kincaid for The SHOUT.
For a more hands-on learning experience, visitors could try out the "Bumblebee Petting Zoo." Photos by Julian Kincaid for The SHOUT.
Volunteers from ICT Bee Fest provided nets for kids to gather and observe bees, butterflies, and other insects. Photos by Julian Kincaid for The SHOUT.
Vendors and growers offered bee-friendly plants for purchase. Photos by Julian Kincaid for The SHOUT.
Learn more about Grassland Groupies and the Bee City Wichita committee through these stories by Alexis Padilla for KSN and Tadeo Ruiz for KMUW. You can also subscribe to the Grassland Groupies Substack.
Julian Kincaid is a social practice artist based in his hometown of Wichita. His work revolves around connecting people to art through social engagement and building visual culture. You can find him online at juliankincaid.com or on Instagram @julian.art.infinite.
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