Where can you taste the full range of honey flavours from your local bees? At the Annual Ashford & District Beekeepers’ Association Honey Festival, you can sample early spring honey, summer floral honey, and the rich, fragrant heather honey—all made by the bees right here in Wicklow.
There’s a saying: Real honey isn’t cheap, and cheap honey isn’t real! Well at the festival, you can enjoy special knockdown prices of €9 a jar and €12 for heather honey —take home the real thing at the right price. Many people believe that local honey can help with hay fever and seasonal sniffles—because it’s made from nectar gathered by bees in your own environment. Whether or not the science is settled, one thing is certain: local produce tastes better!
From Humble Beginnings to a Wicklow Favourite! Launched in 2017 as a small celebration of bees and honey, the festival has grown into one of the biggest community events in the Wicklow calendar.
Visitors can:
See live bees in observation hives (no, they can’t escape!)
Chat with local beekeepers
Stock up on jars of pure Wicklow honey
It’s not just about honey! Enjoy:
Kids’ activities: face painting, quizzes, ice cream, art & poetry displays in the Heritage Centre
Artisan stands: soaps, organic lotions, farmhouse cheeses, chutneys, relishes, woodcraft, candles, plants, and flowers – meet our 2025 stallholders here
Treats tea, coffee, cakes, and strawberries with cream
Monster raffle: amazing prizes, including vouchers for local attractions and gifts from community sponsors
Come for the honey, stay for the atmosphere—and take a little sweetness home with you.