The late beekeeper Brady Mullinax devoted his life to honeybee conservation and recognition. photograph by American Photo Archive/Alamy Stock Photo
Before he became known as “The Bee Man,” Brady Mullinax was a 9-year-old boy who was fascinated by honeybees. The curious youngster began his own beekeeping operation on his family’s farm near Newton, where he contained swarms in box hives. To Mullinax, the inner workings of the hives were mesmerizing. No matter how big the swarm, each bee had a job, a purpose that helped maintain the health of the hive.
Years later, in the early 1970s, Mullinax moved to Kernersville, where he became involved with the state beekeepers association and began his mission to earn statewide recognition for the honeybee. In 1973, after he paid a visit to the North Carolina General Assembly in Raleigh, the honeybee was declared our official state insect.
North Carolina’s affinity for honeybees goes back centuries. Records dating to the late 17th century describe beekeeping in the colony when beeswax was a popular export. In 1767, Gov. William Tryon traveled to the Moravian settlement of Bethabara, where he purchased 478 pounds of candles and six beehives to bring back to New Bern. The following year, Tryon signed a tax act allowing citizens who might be short on traditional funds to pay their dues in beeswax.
Today, the honeybee remains our state insect. The North Carolina State Beekeepers Association is one of the largest and oldest of its kind in the country, with more than 5,100 members. And in 2023, our beekeepers produced nearly 500,000 pounds of honey.
Sure, we North Carolinians have been known to enjoy the sweeter things in life, but there’s an obsession with these bright and buzzy pollinators that might say more about us than the bees. Although The Bee Man died in 2009, his legacy helps us explain this centuries-old love story.
Each year since 1975, in honor of Mullinax’s legislative achievement, Kernersville’s Fourth of July Park fills with locally made honey, beeswax, and some bees — under the protection of glass — during the Honeybee Festival. The park displays a plaque bearing a photo of the legendary beekeeper and a quote: “Bee the job great or small, do it right or not at all.”
His words unravel the mystery behind our fondness for bees. We’re not so different: Within every North Carolina hive and home is a community hard at work.
The Honeybee Festival
August 17
Fourth of July Park
702 West Mountain Street
Kernersville, NC 27284
photograph by ©Journal Communications/Todd Bennett
Between Junction Plaza, where a kaleidoscope of butterflies flutters, and a desert enclosure home to bats and lizards, visitors at the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro step into a 10-foot-tall skep, or old-timey basket hive. Inside, they find a busy demonstration colony: A queen lays her eggs, and her workers fulfill various duties.
The hive, along with a worker bee sculpture and a garden full of the pollinator’s favorite snacks (like lantana and anise hyssop), was constructed in 2009 in partnership with the North Carolina State Beekeepers Association, whose members volunteer here regularly.
While acquainting themselves with the resident bees, zoogoers learn that the insects are responsible for pollinating many of our favorite foods, including apples, watermelons, and broccoli. After a walk through the garden, even the most hesitant visitor leaves feeling grateful.
North Carolina Zoo
4401 Zoo Parkway
Asheboro, NC 27205
(800) 488-0444
nczoo.org
photograph by Stacey Van Berkel
Beneath a canopy of giant oaks and poplars, sourwood trees — native to the southern Appalachian Mountains — stretch their branches. At higher elevations, their small white flowers produce more nectar, and during the late-summer sourwood bloom, honeybees swarm them for a taste, creating a distinctive namesake honey.
This natural occurrence has created a sourwood frenzy among mountain folk. Those who favor the buttery-sweetness gather in Black Mountain each August to celebrate their hometown honey.
The Sourwood Festival has been a Buncombe County staple since 1977. In addition to the sweet treat, downtown Black Mountain will showcase regional pastimes like chainsaw carving. But stop for the honey first — it might have an extensive shelf life, but at the festival, it won’t stick around for long.
Sourwood Festival
August 10 & 11
Downtown Black Mountain
(828) 669-2300
exploreblackmountain.com/sourwood-festival
Are you a tired bee looking for place to get away from it all? Look no further than the Air Bee & Bee at the JC Raulston Arboretum Perennial Border, one of the most diverse botanical gardens in North America. Just 15 minutes from the buzz of downtown Raleigh, this south-facing border planting houses the wooden arched getaway complete with entry points of different shapes and sizes to fit wayward pollinators.
You’ll find world-class dining just a few wing beats away: spires of tiny Baptisia blossoms, purple blooms of aromatic aster, and sunny yellow coreopsis are just a few of the more than 6,000 different types of plants at the arboretum. So fly on over to our state capital’s largest garden where your home away from hive awaits.
J.C. Raulston Arboretum
4415 Beryl Road
Raleigh, NC 27606
(919) 515-3132
jcra.ncsu.edu
More to Explore: For more buzzworthy festivals and fun, check out our roundup of upcoming honeybee celebrations at ourstate.com/honeyevents.
Mark our words: Whether they nod to North Carolina or were penned by its residents, these notable, quotable passages remind us of the power of speech inspired by our state.
When one stream flows into another, the two chart a new course for the future — together.
When the weather outside is frightful, one chef serves loved ones dishes so delightful.
A historic Rose Bowl pitted Duke University against Oregon State in Durham. Then, in the dark days of World War II, those same football players — and a legendary coach — joined forces to fight for freedom.
