In celebration of National Honey Bee Day on Aug. 21, the public is invited to learn about honey bees at Edison and Ford Winter Estates. The day’s itinerary will include demonstrations and lectures, and a hands-on demonstration on bee keeping for kids. Plus, multiple vendors will be on site for a plant fair and sale with food trucks and live music. The event is free (does not include tours, museum or lab admission) and will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Beekeepers Association of Southwest Florida will give lectures on honey bee ecology and plant pollination, and demonstrations on an open hive, honey extraction and bottling, and bee wax and candle making. They will also have an observation hive, information table, and honey available for sale and tasting.

In addition, the Florida Native Plant Society will have an information table and will be available to answer questions about Florida native plants.

Several food and beverage vendors will be on site, including the Foodology Food Truck, Daddy Dee’s Ice Cream Parlor, and Vibes and Spices will have beer and other beverages available for sale. David Rojas will perform live music, and pollinator plants will be available for purchase in the Garden Shoppe.

More than a dozen honey bee hives are managed by professional beekeepers at the Estates. Historically, bees were critical to the site for pollination. As early as 1886, Edison instructed his caretaker to obtain bee hives to pollinate flowers and other plants on his property.

For more information, visit the website at www.edisonford.org or call 239-334-7419.