The City of Bee Cave’s Books & Bees Festival is a game-changer in the world of literary festivals and it has a statewide award to prove it. At its annual awards ceremony in April of 2024, the Texas Library Association awarded the Bee Cave Public Library its “Libraries Change Communities” award for its unique literary festival that blends the love of reading with nature education.
The Books and Bees festival brings in thousands of visitors every year to the Hill Country Galleria, where the Bee Cave Public Library is located.
The free event, sponsored by Keystone Bank, invites celebrated and noteworthy authors from across the region for a full day of readings, interactive storytelling, and thought-provoking panel discussions. As a Bee City USA affiliate, the City of Bee Cave partners up with a local organization, Bees-for-All, for fun bee education, which includes looking inside a real hive, making wildflower seed balls to take home, and trying on beekeeping suits for budding bee enthusiasts. This year’s festival also included Starry Sky Austin to celebrate the solar eclipse and educate children and adults about the importance of looking at the night sky. With crafts for kids and even a musical concert capping off the event, it is a literary festival that everyone can enjoy.
“Every part of this festival is thoughtfully curated, which is why this award is such an honor to receive,” says Gretchen Hardin, the Assistant Director of the Bee Cave Public Library. “We love that it brings in a diverse group of visitors who all get a chance to learn something new. Our nature lovers come for the bees and stay for the books; our book lovers develop a new appreciation for bees and their importance to our ecosystem.”
The Texas Library Association presents the Libraries Change Communities Award to honor collaborative community endeavors that celebrate achievements and support exceptional library-based projects in Texas. This award acknowledges excellence in innovative library-related initiatives that engage communities, showcase creativity and originality, and have the capacity to be replicated and expanded in other locations.